The Serpent's Realm
by Poohbear-29
Summary: When SG1 returns to Talosia to help the people with a treaty, the world appears abandoned as Mitchell begins to see things the others don't. When Cam disappears, SG1 must work with the inhabitants in order to find Mitchell.
1. Chapter 1

Title-The Serpent's Realm

Author-Winnie

Rating-T

Disclaimer-Don't own any rights to the character, and no money was made from this story

Comments-I really enjoyed Ben Browder's portrayal of Cameron Mitchell and hope this story helps keep the characters of SG1 alive for other fans

Cameron Mitchell hadn't felt this bad since that first week after the rigorous training he'd taken to become a pilot. His friends had decided he needed to celebrate his victory and taken advantage of the three day leave pass they'd been given. They'd gotten so damn drunk that he'd been sick for two days afterward. The difference between then and now was that he hadn't touched a drink.

Cam made his way to the gate room, hoping this mission would be as easy as Carter and Jackson seemed to think. They were going to PK3-4XY to help the people, who called themselves Talosians, with the negotiations that would bring peace and harmony to both sides. Peace and harmony, a hell of a way to describe what they were doing considering how long the war between the two factions had lasted. Their part in this was simply to watch and give advice to the head honchos.

Both sectors of Talosian society were well advanced in scientific and military aspects, but one side seemed to think they were the chosen. They'd described themselves as being the original inhabitants of the planet. Jackson had found several placards that seemed to suggest neither side could lay that claim, but for now it wasn't up to them to prove that.

The Talosians lived in single homes spread out over several miles along a river that divided the society much the same way their beliefs did. The homes were built of wood, but the window coverings were unlike the panes of glass found on Earth. Whatever the Talosians used made it impossible to break, and Mitchell wondered if it was indigenous to the planet or if it was a formula left by the original inhabitants, if Jackson was right on that score. Cam stretched his neck and wished he could crawl back into his bed, but it would have to wait until the mission was complete.

"Colonel Mitchell, did you not sleep well?"

"Not really, Big Fella," Mitchell told the Jaffa who'd joined him without his having heard him.

"Perhaps you should speak with General Landry. This mission does not require all of us," Teal'c offered.

"I'm good, Teal'c," the colonel said as they reached the gate room and were joined by Carter and Jackson.

"Mitchell, are you all..."

"I'm fine, Jackson," Cam said and walked toward the gate. "Let's get this show on the road."

"SG1, you're clear to go," Walter told them as the last Chevron locked and the shimmering whirlpool appeared.

Mitchell led the way through and exited on the other side milliseconds before the others. He thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned it was no longer there. A chill ran down his spine, but he shook it off as he looked around the clearing, frowning when there was no sign of the inhabitants. He listened for the sounds he'd come to associate with the area around the gate, and frowned when nothing moved, not even a breeze rustled the trees.

"It would appear the Talosians have forgotten our arrangements," Teal'c observed.

"It's too quiet," Mitchell observed.

"Maybe they were able to complete the treaty on their own," Carter suggested.

"They've been at each other's throats for over a century. Somehow a peaceful settlement doesn't seem possible," Jackson said.

"Do you smell that?" Carter asked.

"It smells life someone's got a fire going," Mitchell answered and looked around until he spotted smoke in the distance. "Looks like there's something happening at the meeting place so I guess that should be our first stop."

SG1 had been to the city and the meeting place appointed because it was on a spot that had once been considered sacred by both sides. The Talosians had no idea who built the building or why, but they had never used it until SG1 suggested it s neutral ground. The last two meetings had went well and the only thing left to work out were a couple of minor detains like how many members of each side would be allowed to sit in on meetings now that the planet was allied with Earth.

"Jackson, you take point...I've got our sixes," Mitchell ordered as the team moved toward the path that would lead them to the structure. Cam glanced around as the others moved out and felt as if he was being watched.

"Colonel Mitchell, are you all right?"

"Huh," Mitchell said, shaking his head as he realized he hadn't moved while the others had. "Sorry, guess I was daydreaming."

"Indeed," Teal'c said and studied Mitchell closely. "Perhaps it would be best..."

"I'm okay, Teal'c, let's just get this done," the colonel said and knew the bigger man was worried about him. He smiled and nodded toward Jackson and Carter before moving into step beside his friend. Cam rotated his shoulders and glanced around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, except the lack of sounds.

Teal'c watched the other man as they moved along the trail and knew what had spooked Mitchell, but until they reached the meeting place there was no way of finding out why everything seemed so still.

Mitchell could feel Teal'c watching him, and wished the man didn't have such an uncanny ability to read him. They 'd been on the path for nearly fifteen minutes when Jackson signaled for them to stop. Cam and the others did as he said and they listened for anything that might alert them to trouble ahead.

"What's wrong, Jackson?"

"I thought I heard someone scream," Daniel answered.

"By scream you mean something out of a scary movie or someone playing a prank?" Mitchell asked.

"Horror movie kind of scream," Jackson answered.

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Mitchell said and took a deep breath before speaking. "We need to find out what's happened, but we take it slow. Keep an eye out for trouble."

SG1 continued down the path, the smell of smoke weighing heavy on the air as they approached the structure set in the center of a large clearing. During the first few visits, while Carter and Jackson were speaking with the Talosians, Mitchell and Teal'c had checked out the building and the clearing. The structure was made of stone and mortar and placed perfectly at the center of a large circle of trees that looked to be exactly the same height. The path leading from the gate was well marked and again the trees rose high above them and seemed to be the same height as those that encircled the structure.

Mitchell and Teal'c stepped into the clearing just behind Carter and Jackson. They were met with an eerie silence and the unnatural stillness that seemed to permeate the area. The smoke seemed to come from the center of the building and rose steadily upward without deviating form the column.

"It appears deserted," Carter observed.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

"Callisia! Teronis!" Mitchell called the names of the two Talosians who had been appointed to speak with them on behalf of the two factions. He strode toward the building and frowned when he saw movement at the edge of his vision. He turned, but there was nothing there and faltered as the others joined him.

"Cam, are you all right?" Carter asked.

"I'm not sure. I keep seeing something out of the corner of my eyes, but y the time I look there's nothing there," Mitchell explained.

"What sort of things are you seeing?" Jackson asked.

"That's just it, Jackson, I don't know," Mitchell answered and wrinkled his nose when he smelled something fowl. "Do you smell that?"

"All I smell is smoke," Teal'c said.

"Cam, what's wrong?" Carter asked, worried when Mitchell seemed to sway on his feet.

Teal'c reacted instantly and caught the man before his legs gave out. Mitchell's face was whiter than the clouds that peppered the sky overhead. Teal'c and Jackson supported him to the circle of stone set near the entrance to the structure and made him sit down.

Cam felt them watching him and opened his eyes, slamming them shut when the bright sunlight stabbed at his skull. He could hear the others talking, but concentrated on keeping the contents of his stomach where it belonged. He swallowed convulsively and felt someone rubbing circles on his back as he fought to open his eyes without being sick. He felt the world around him shift as if everything was suddenly out of focus and felt the darkness reach for him.

Carter watched as Mitchell's eyes rolled back in his head and he would have fallen had it not been for Teal'c and Jackson holding him in place. "We need to get him back to the gate! Teal'c would you carry him?"

Teal'c simply nodded and watched as Jackson removed Mitchell's pack before taking the unconscious man and positioning him over his shoulder. He waited for Carter to take the lead while Jackson took up the rear. Whatever had happened here would have too wait until they figured out what was happening with their friend. It would take them half an hour to reach the gate, more if they ran into trouble.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Cam felt the motion of his body swaying side to side and tried to make sense of what was happening, but his head felt ready to explode. He'd been dreaming of something that stayed just out of his field of vision. A creature with claws that could tear the meat from his bones. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the winged serpents depicted in the fantasy lore books he'd read as a child. He'd been standing inside the building, surrounded by the Talosians who seemed to be chanting something that drove the creature into a frenzy. It's claws lashed out and Cam felt it tear through his chest.

Mitchell realized they were moving rapidly along the path and tapped at the solid back and was soon eased to the ground as he opened his eyes. He wallowed the bile that rose in his throat and reached up to touch the area where the creature from his dreams had slashed at him. It hurt like hell and he looked at his hand, shocked to see a smear of red on his palm.

"Easy, Cam," Carter said as Teal'c moved aside to let her check on Mitchell. She looked at his hand and lifted her head until their eyes met. "Are you hurt?"

"I don't...chest," Mitchell told her, tight lipped as the area on his chest burned as if he'd been scalded.

"Let me take a look," Carter said and helped Mitchell open his shirt, surprised to see two long gashes that ran from his right shoulder to just above his navel.

"How did that happen?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know," Mitchell said as Carter reached for the first aid kit in her pack.

"I'm going to patch you up and we'll get back to the gate," Carter ordered.

Mitchell nodded her head and frowned when he saw something moving in the shadows cast by the trees. He tried to bring it into focus, but it was gone before he could make sense of it. A strange, eerie whistling sound accompanied the burning sensation in his chest as Carter covered the wound with gauze.

"Cam, we need to go," Carter said and watched the man's face closely. There was something strange happening around them, yet it seemed Mitchell was the only one physically affected by it. The wounds on his chest were not serious, but she had no idea made them and was worried about infection.

Mitchell tried to stand, but felt as if his legs were made of rubber. He shook with fatigue and frowned when Teal'c reached for him. "I can..."

"Lean on me, Colonel Mitchell," the big Jaffa said and helped the man stand before supporting him as Jackson took the other side. Carter took the lead, her eyes peeled for anything that could have caused the wounds. She didn't want to think about the fact that Mitchell had been thrown over Teal'c's shoulder at the time they happened.

Cam was glad of the support as they made their way toward the gate. The silence was strange and unnerving, especially when he kept seeing things that were just at the edge of his vision. His stomach muscles cramped and nausea churned through his gut as the gate came into sight. He breathed a sigh of relief that was short lived, as he convulsed and pulled away from Teal'c and Jackson. He dropped to his knees as the contents of his stomach came up in a forceful stream.

Carter knelt beside the ailing man and frowned at the way his body shook with the force of his heaving. She looked at Jackson and Teal'c and saw the worry and fear on their faces.

"Sam, we need to get him home," Jackson advised.

"I know, Daniel," Carter said and moved aside when Teal'c reached for Mitchell. The Jaffa lifted him into his arms and carried him toward the gate, but stopped when Mitchell cried out.

Cam felt the claws rip at his legs and heard Carter say something as he was lowered to the ground. He breathed through tightly clenched teeth and opened his eyes. Jackson and Carter were both examining his legs, but he didn't really see them as he looked at the creature that faded in and out of focus as it perched on the gate. The eyes followed his every move and Mitchell realized it wanted something form him.

"What is causing the wounds?" Teal'c asked.

"I don't know," Carter answered.

"Up there...can't you see it?" Mitchell asked weakly.

"There's nothing there, Cam," Carter said.

"It's there...ugly sonofabitch," Mitchell told her.

"Well, it can stay there, but we need to get you through the gate," Jackson said and moved to help lift the injured man.

"You can not take him through the great ring."

Mitchell leaned against Jackson as the voice spoke from the treeline. He could see her as she stepped out of the thick foliage and stepped toward them. The creature that was perched on the gate had disappeared and he wondered if it belonged to the woman who appeared before them.

"Who are you?" Carter asked as the woman slowly walked toward them.

"I am Layonna of the Mastyques. I have come to warn you not to take him through the great ring."

"We are not from this world..."

"I know you are not from Talosia, Dr. Jackson, but the laws of this world and Mastyque apply to all who step through the gate,"

"Layonna..."

"If you try to take him through the great ring, Colonel Carter, he will be torn to shreds."

"By what?" Carter asked angrily.

"By the creature only he can see. It may not be real to you or the others, but as long as Colonel Mitchell is tied to the realm of the Mastyque he is at the whim of the creatures that reside there."

"Why can't we see them?" Jackson asked.

"It is not often that they choose to show themselves to outworlders, but when they do there is nothing you can do to change what will transpire," Layonna answered, her body wavering in the bright sunlight.

"We've heard that before," Carter said.

"Indeed," Teal'c readily agreed.

"If you value Colonel Mitchell's life you will heed my warning."

"Teal'c let's go," Carter ordered and aimed her weapon at the woman.

"You have been warned," Layonna told them and moved away as SG1 headed for the gate. She sighed tiredly when the man cried out and the creature flapped its massive wings in protest. "You must leave him."

"No," Jackson said.

"Then you condemn him," the woman said and motioned toward Mitchell whose face was contorted with pain. "He can not go through the gate."

"There has to be a way," Carter spat.

"Perhaps, but it is not for me to decide. He has to prove worthy or the serpent will devour him," Layonna explained.

"What serpent?" Jackson asked and looked around the clearing. "There's nothing here!"

"Because you do not see it does not mean it isn't there, Dr. Jackson," Layonna told him. "What we cannot see with our eyes we can only fight with our minds. Colonel Mitchell's mind is open to the creatures of the Mastyque and until he is able to turn from them he must remain here. It is the way of my world."

"It's not the way of our world," Carter said.

"Perhaps not, but you are not on your world, Colonel Carter. Your years of traveling through the gates should have taught you not to turn your back on the beliefs of others. He must stay here," Layonna said and closed her eyes before motioning with her hands.

Carter, Teal'c, and Jackson could only stare as Cameron Mitchell was lifted into the air and disappeared with the gust of wind that shook the gate to its very foundations.

"Where is he?" Carter snapped and searched the area for the woman, but she had disappeared into whatever realm she'd come from.

"It seems she's taken Colonel Mitchell with her," Teal'c observed. The air around them seemed heavy as the wind rustled through the trees and the sounds they associated with Talosia returned. The trio searched the area, but there was no sign of Mitchell or the woman as they returned to the gate.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

"It is time to wake up, Cameron Mitchell."

Cam opened his eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar setting and sat up with a soft moan. He rubbed at his aching head and looked down at his chest. The bandages were still in place, but a thin line of blood showed exactly where the wounds were. They didn't hurt, more like a slight burning and he realized his right leg was also injured.

"They will heal, but you must not leave the Mastyque."

"What the hell is this place?" Mitchell asked and waited for the world to come into focus.

"This is Talosia as it was 10,000 years ago. A time before the war between the Talosians when creatures inhabited both worlds and we controlled the path between the realms."

"Why am I here?" Mitchell asked.

"You saw things that were not meant for outworlders and so you were brought here. It is something very few have seen and none have escaped."

"Escaped? So I'm a prisoner?" Mitchell asked and watched as the woman simply nodded.

"You will live out your life here in servitude."

"No, I don't think so," the colonel said with a hint of a smile.

"You have no choice, Colonel Mitchell."

"I've been told that before," Mitchell said and stood on shaky legs. "The thing is my bible thumping Grandma said I never listened very well. Now if you'll excuse me I need to find my team and get the hell out of Dodge."

"There is no way for you to go back."

"Been told that before too...never did like being told what I could or couldn't do," Mitchell said and brushed past the woman. He reached the door and placed his hand on the stone, but soon felt the claws at his back as his body was lifted and thrown across the room. He hit the wall hard and landed in a heap on the floor as the serpent like creature landed in front of him. It spread its wings and covered him with them as darkness claimed him and a sorrowful cry echoed through the room.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

Carter had contacted the SGC and advised them what had happened. Landry had wanted to send through more SG teams to help in the search, but she'd convinced him to wait until they were sure of what they were dealing with. If another SG team came through and they saw whatever it was Mitchell had seen then they'd also be at Layonna's mercy.

The trio headed back to the structure, intent on searching for the missing man. Whatever it took they would find Mitchell and bring him home, because they never left a man behind without checking all exploring all contingencies. They were on alert now, and would take every precaution, but they would also do what SG1 did best. They'd work together and find out what was behind the disappearance of the Talosians and Cameron Mitchell.

They reached the clearing and stood listening, aware that the sounds that had been missing seemed to have returned. The breeze blew across the area, rustling through the branches of the trees and driving away the oppressive heat that built during the latter part of the Talosian day.

"Teal'c keep an eye on things out here while Daniel and I check the inside of the sanctuary," Carter said and moved toward the entrance. She knew how the locking mechanism worked and quickly touched her fingertips in the manner she seen the elder Talosian dignitary use. There was a whirring sound, but the barrier remained in place as she tried several times.

"Maybe it only reacts to male DNA," Jackson said and placed his fingers against the strange lighted disk with the same results as Carter. "Okay, so that doesn't work."

"It could work like the ATA gene in Atlantis," Carter suggested.

"You think the Talosians could be descendants of the Ancients?" Jackson asked as Teal'c joined them.

"It's possible, but unless we find a Talosian we'll have to wait until it's safe for another SG team to come through the gate," Carter answered. So far the ATA gene therapy hadn't worked for her and sometimes she wondered if it had to do with Jolinar. Daniel had never tried having the ATA gene injected, instead he seemed to rely on the things he'd learned from his ascension. He might even have residual DNA from that time and was able to use things he'd experienced during his time as a priest of the ORI. There were times like this, when she wished things were less complicated.

"Colonel Carter, perhaps we should check the city," Teal'c suggested.

"It'll take us an hour to reach the city on foot," Jackson said.

"It'll be dark in a couple of hours," Carter said and looked around. "We need to let General Landry know where we're going."

"I will return to the gate and then meet you at the city's main building."

"All right, but be careful," Carter warned

"Indeed," Teal'c said with a simple gesture of his head before turning and leaving the duo alone.

"We better get moving," Carter suggested and led the way toward the path that would take them to the Talosian city.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1**

Mitchell had no idea how long he'd been out, but it was long enough for his wounds to be tended and his uniform to be replaced by a pair of dark green pants that had a drawstring at the waist. His chest was bare except for the bandage that covered the wounds on his chest and when he rotated his shoulders he felt the tug of the wounds on his back.

Cam sat up on the edge of the cot and looked around the small room. The walls were made of wood and dirt while the floor seemed to be formed by some kind of stone and mortar. There was one door at the center of the wall directly across from him and no windows. The room was lit by a skylight over a dozen feet above his head. Even if he stood on the cot there was no way in hell he could reach it.

Mitchell stood and looked down at his bare feet, cursing silently that his captors were smart enough to take away his shoes. He stood up, walked slowly to the door and looked at the handle. He reached for it, surprised when the door opened easily and bright sunshine made him blink. Cam stepped outside, glancing up at the strange sky over head.

The sun reminded him of a blood orange, red at the center and bright orange around the outer edge. The sky stretched out above him, its color a sickening blend of green and brown that reminded him of dying grass at the end of a long hot spell on earth. The trees swayed with the breeze, but the leaves were not the green he would normally expect, but an opaque yellow with purple veins that bulged as if they were truly alive and filled with an undulating mass that was ready to explode.

Cam wrinkled his nose at the stench permeating from everything around him. Even the ground beneath his bare feet seemed alive and he fought to move forward. It felt like his feet were mire in the thick sludge, but he needed to find out more about his surroundings and figure out a way home.

Mitchell turned when he heard movement behind him. He was shocked to find the hut he'd been in wasn't the only one in the clearing and that there were several people present who stared intently at him. There was a hunger in their eyes as if he had something they needed as they walked toward him with a mournful cry of rage.

"Whoa!" he said and held up his hands to warn them off, but they moved until he was completely surrounded by the people whose faces were paler than the first snowfall that covered the earth in a pristine blanket of white. The eyes were wild, the cheeks gaunt, and the bodies could only be described as emaciated. "Back off!"

"Help me..."

"No...no help me..."

"Who are you people?" Mitchell asked, backing away from the ones in front of him until he felt hands touching him.

"He should be mine. I have been here the longest! I am so hungry for life," a man said and tried to push past the others. His face was pockmarked and riddled with wrinkles. He was bent at the wist and wore clothing as the rest of the group, only his looked almost threadbare. "Let me touch him."

"No!"

Mitchell recognized the voice and turned to find the people parting so that she could walk past them. The woman looked as if she'd spent her life at a spa. Her skin was smooth, her eyes filled with life, her fact as beautiful and flawless as the morning sunrise back home. God, he missed home and suddenly felt as if he'd been away forever.

"You are not to touch him," Layonna warned and took Mitchell by the arm. "He is not for you and you will not do anything to harm him. He belongs to the Mastyque."

"What the hell," Mitchell cursed as his stomach churned. He stared at the hand covering his forearm and frowned at the burning itch that seemed to engulf his nerves.

"It will take time for you to adjust to your new environment, but when you do you will be able to function as you should."

"I don't plan on being here long enough to adjust to anything," Mitchell vowed.

"You are strong and stubborn," Layonna said and smiled at the man before her. "That combination will either kill you or make you a God."

"I seen enough people who think they are Gods, so that analogy won't work. My Grannie used to say my stubborn streak would get me killed so perhaps she's right. Either way I'm not staying here."

"Are all the people of your world like you?"

"No, some are worse, but they usually end up in prison or on the wrong end of a bullet," Mitchell said and could hear the mournful cries from the people still surrounding him.

"Is that a threat, Colonel Mitchell?"

"Take it however you want," Mitchell ordered and tried to push past her, but stopped when he saw the shadow of fluttering wings at the edge of the clearing.

"Colonel, I told you that you cannot leave here."

"And I told you I've heard that before. You got me here and where there's a way in there's got to be a way out," Mitchell said and looked at the people standing around.

"The pathway you traveled only goes one way..."

"You don't mind if I check that out for myself...even if you do I'm going to do it anyway," Mitchell said and pushed past the woman. He frowned when he saw two figures standing at the back of the crowd. There was something oddly familiar about them and he shouldered his way through the gathering until he reached the duo. They looked like the homeless people on the streets of New York, but their eyes were filled with fear as they stared at him.

"Colonel Mitchell, how did you get here?" Callisia asked.

"I could ask you two the same thing? What the hell happened to you?" Mitchell asked.

"We were brought here after your team left the meeting ground. Please, you have to help us get back to our home," Teronis told him.

"Colonel Mitchell is here for the same reason you are," Layonna stated. "He was chosen by the serpent and will remain in servitude. He is not capable of making the trip back to Talosia."

"Lady, you have no idea what I'm capable of," Mitchell snarled and saw the creature perched on a decayed stump near the last 'cabin'. The wings were spread wide as the beak-like mandibles worked together to create a sound that sent Cam and the others to their knees. "What the hell is that?"

"If you anger them, they will retaliate," Layonna told him, smiling as she looked at the winged serpent. "You do not understand the history of Talosia, Colonel, but these people do and they will turn against you when the time is right. Do not turn your back on them."

"Why did you bring us here?" Mitchell asked once the sound had died down enough that he could stand without being off-balanced.

"I did not bring you here...they did."

"You seem to know a lot about them," the colonel observed.

"I have lived my life amongst the creatures and I understand what they are. You are not of this world, but you will come to realize that this is where you belong."

"I don't think so," Mitchell snapped and shifted past her when she tried to stop him.

"Do not go past the line of trees, Colonel," Layonna warned.

Mitchell ignored the woman's warning as he brushed past Callisia and Teronis. He could feel them watching is every movement, but his attention was solely on the creature perched above him. It flapped its grotesque wings creating a strong wind that forced Cam to shield his eyes from the debris lifted from the ground. He heard the strange sound, but this time it came from everywhere and he struggled to cover his ears as he forced one foot in front of the other.

"You are making a mistake, Colonel Mitchell!" Layonna warned. She looked up as the serpent lifted off its perch and slowly circled the clearing before swooping down toward Mitchell.

Cam could feel the change in the air as the force of the wind engulfed him and sent him to his knees. He tried to get back to his feet, but felt something sharp tear at his shoulders and force him to the ground. He lifted his head and turned slightly as the creatures beak pressed deep into his shoulder. He cried out as it dug deeper and lifted him from the ground. He hung from its talons as the serpent slowly circled the Talosians before dropping him to the ground. Darkness was a welcoming embrace as pain sliced across his back and he gave into the welcoming void.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carter and Jackson reached the outskirts of the Talosian city and glanced at each other before continuing to make their way toward the inner sanctum. Nothing moved in the streets, not even a speck of dust as the air hung heavy on the streets. The Talosians hadn't shown them any pets, so the absence of any kind of animals didn't surprise them.

"Whatever happened seems to have effected everyone," Jackson observed and looked at Carter who seemed to be lost in thought. "Sam, what is it?"

"I'm not sure, but if it had something to do with what Cam was seeing, why didn't we see it?"

"I don't know, but I'd bet it has something to do with Layonna. We need to find her," Jackson offered.

"I know, but where do we start?"

"Well, there's no way we're going to be able to search the city on our own, but without knowing why Mitchell was affected we can't chance bringing any more teams here," Jackson observed.

"We need to have Carolyn send through the equipment we need to do more tests. Whatever effected Cam could be something as simple as the air," Carter explained.

"Nothing's ever that simple when it comes to Mitchell," Jackson said.

"Colonel Carter, have you and Daniel Jackson reached the city?"

"We're here, Teal'c, and from what we've seen it's deserted as well," Carter answered through the mic on her shoulder.

"I have updated General Landry and should be there in under an hour. He said he would talk with Dr. Lam about what equipment to send through the gate."

"We'll be here, Teal'c," Carter said and nodded to Jackson when he motioned toward the street. It was eerily silent as they moved deeper into the city, painfully aware that they had no idea what had happened to the Talosians.

There was no sign of violence, no evidence that the Talosians had been killed, but that didn't mean anything. The people who lived in the city had been at war with the people across the river for as long as they could remember.

"Did you notice there are no animals?" Jackson asked.

"The Talosians never kept pets that we now of, but I did notice there were no birds or other animals," Carter observed.

"So whatever happened to Mitchell and the Talosians also affected the animal life," Jackson said.

"Do you remember where the lab was located?"

"Near the park at the center of the city," Jackson answered.

"Maybe we can find some answers there," Carter said and headed toward the building that housed the labs.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

"Bring him inside," Layonna ordered as the serpent released Mitchell's unconscious body. She stepped toward the cabin that he'd been placed in before and waited for Teronis and another man to carry the injured man inside. The wounds from the talons were not deep, but the one to the right shoulder would require special care. The creature's beak carried a poison that could kill if left to fester in an untreated wound, but she would not allow that to happen.

"Should I bring your things?" Callisia asked, head bowed as she spoke.

"Yes, and bring me the Tabeya root," Layonna ordered. "Place him on the bed and leave."

Layonna smiled once she was alone with the injured man. She reached out and touched her fingers against his forehead and felt the fever she knew would continue to rise. There was nothing she could do to stop that, but at least she could keep it from killing him as long as she kept it under control. She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed both hands against his temples before gliding her fingertips down his cheeks to his neck. She felt the pulsating heat beneath her skin and closed her eyes, relishing the beat of blood within his body.

"I have brought the things you need," Callisia said.

"Put it on the table and leave."

"Should I prepare the Guliska?"

"Yes, but do not bring it until I send for you," Layonna ordered. The Guliska was a thick stew made from the roots of the dead Liska trees that encircled the area they lived in. It would be used by the Talosians to keep themselves alive in this realm, although what they did here could hardly be called living. Still, when offered someone like Cameron Mitchell, the residents of the realm could very well reward those who were brought here.

Layonna worked to remove the garment that covered Mitchell's upper body and eased him onto his stomach. As she guessed the wounds were superficial, although the creature had dug it's beak deeper than she first thought. Cleaning it with the Tabeya root would be a painful process, but it needed to be done if he was to retain use of the arm. She reached for the thick pliable vines attached to the posts of the bed and tied them around Mitchell's ankles and wrists.

Layonna stood and moved to the table and picked up the root. Callisia had also brought her hot water and clean bandages and she placed them closer to the bed before returning her attention to the root. The Tabeya tree was no more of a stunted bush, but the part of the root needed to treat a serpent's wound was deep under the ground. It took careful digging not to damage the undulating bone-like structure that held the only antidote for the toxin.

Layonna reached for a sharp knife and took it and the root back to the bed. She sat on the edge and held the root above the wound before cutting along the skeletal structure. She knew once the thick brownish fluid touched the wound it would bring Mitchell back to consciousness and smiled when he tried to pull away from her.

"What the hell is that?" Mitchell cried out and tried to move, but his ankles and wrists were bound, effectively limiting his movement as whatever the woman was smearing into his wound burned as if on fire.

"It will neutralize the serpent's venom, Colonel Mitchell, without it you could lose your arm. Now, be still or I will have to repeat the treatment," Layonna warned.

"Sonofa..." Mitchell cried out as her fingers probed the wound. "You're not digging for gold back there!"

"I am almost done, and then you will rest until the serpent calls for you," Layonna told him.

"Sure, but if he calls he just might get a busy signal," Mitchell snarled and tried to escape his bonds.

Layonna continued the treatment and soon heard his breathing even out as the sedative effects of the root lulled him to sleep. He would stay that way for several hours, allowing her the time she needed to visit with her minions. She leaned forward and kissed the wound before covering it with what was left of the root and left the small cabin.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

Carter and Jackson made their way toward the buildings that held the main labs. A park was set between three buildings, one housed a biological lab, another chemistry and physics, while the third was under lock down while they'd been visiting. The Talosian had explained that the building had been damaged during a failed experiment and was unsafe for anyone to enter.

"We need to get into the third building," Carter said once they reached the park.

"You think there's another reason they wouldn't let us inside?"

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter because we need to check out every angle. The answers could be inside," Carter told him.

"We need to find Mitchell or Layonna," Jackson observed.

"There's something strange about Layonna."

"Besides taking something that doesn't belong to her you mean?" Jackson asked as they reached the locked door of the building.

"She kept saying Cam saw things he wasn't supposed to see and that's why he was taken," Carter answered. "We need to find out why he saw what he did and what it was that took him."

"We also need to find a way in here," Jackson said of the heavy door. He reached for the handle and tried to turn it, but wasn't surprised when nothing happened. "Maybe there's another way inside."

Carter nodded and they walked toward the corner of the stark white building. The lawns and surrounding brush were perfectly manicured while a variety of colorful flowers bloomed in rows near the fountain. Sam remembered Mitchell saying something about the statue reminding him of the old dragons he'd seen in several movies he'd watched as a kid.

"That's a strange statue for such a display," Jackson commented.

"I know...Cam said he thought it was a dragon," Carter offered.

"Or a winged serpent," Jackson suggested and made his way toward the fountain. "It does look like it could be a serpent...maybe that's what Cam was seeing and Layonna was talking about."

"Could be, but I don't understand why he could see it and we didn't," Carter said.

"It could be chemical, physical, or psychological, but until we find him and Carolyn runs some tests we'd just be guessing," Jackson said as they moved toward the back of the building. There was a single, heavy door at the center of the wall and a single window twenty feet above their heads. The door was locked and wouldn't budge no matter how hard they pushed against it.

"It we can't find an open door maybe we can break a window," Carter suggested.

"Breaking and entering, Sam...I'm surprised at you," Jackson said with a grin.

"It's not like we've never done it before," Carter said.

"True, actually there's not much we haven't done since joining the SGC," Jackson said, moving back as he looked for a way into the building, but other than the door and the window nothing presented itself. They finished checking the exterior of the structure, but found no open window or door as they stood near the main entrance.

"It looks like the window is the best way in," Carter told him.

"Do we shoot it out or..."

"I've always wanted to shoot my way in, but the paperwork afterward is a killer," Carter said and looked around until she spotted several bricks leaning against the base of the fountain. She walked over and picked one up before returning to the building. "Here goes nothing."

"What if you set off an alarm?"

"Who's around to hear it?" Carter asked.

"True, but..."

"If it does set off an alarm and someone comes then we can get some answers."

"Go for it," Jackson said and watched as Carter threw the brick at the window. The glass shattered inward and the screeching sound of an alarm started instantly. Daniel looked around expectantly, but nothing moved in the area and he shrugged his shoulders as Carter picked up a branch of a tree and cleared away the remains of the glass.

"Keep an eye out for Teal'c or the Talosians while I get the door," Carter ordered and climbed through the open window. The screeching of the alarm was even louder inside and she pressed her hands against her ears before moving through the room toward the door. The lights came on as she moved deeper into the structure and illuminated the stark white walls, devoid of any kind of decoration.

"Sam, can you hear me?"

"I hear you...just a minute," Carter answered and hurried to the outer door. She looked at the strange lock and lifted her gun, hoping it was as easy as breaking the keypad. It took several blows, but the console exploded in sparks and she smiled at Jackson when the door opened.

"Thanks," Jackson said.

"Come into my parlour," Carter teased as they moved deeper into the building. She looked at the floor, aware of the strange pattern as each light flickered to life as they walked through the wide corridor.

"Sam, the floor...the design looks like the statue in the fountain," Jackson observed.

"I know...I'm beginning to believe whatever Cam saw wasn't unknown to the Talosians," Carter said.

"Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson, where are you?" Teal'c's voice came through their radio.

"We're in the lab...just look for the broken window," Jackson answered.

"I have found it," Teal'c said and joined them in less than a minute. "This building does not appear to have suffered any damage."

"No it doesn't," Carter agreed.

"Why did they lie?" Jackson asked.

"Perhaps they had completed the repairs?" Teal'c suggested.

"No, this place doesn't look like it's been used in a long time," Carter said and listened as the screech of the alarm seemed to lose some of its shrilling tempo. "I get the feeling we're the first people to step through that door..."

"Then why lie and say it needed repairs?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know, but I'm willing to bet it has something to do with Cam and the missing Talosians," Carter observed and stopped in front of a plate of glass that ran the length of the corridor.

"Perhaps that is simply what the Talosians were led to believe," Teal'c offered.

"Why do you say that?" Carter asked curiously.

"I think I know," Jackson said. "We were unable to enter the structure in the clearing and you needed to break the window to gain access to this building. Layonna was mysterious in what she told us about Colonel Mitchell and the missing Talosians, but she seemed to know about the winged serpent and I'm willing to bet she knows more than she's told us."

"Indeed, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said as they searched the glass for a way into the room beyond it.

"Maybe you should have brought the brick," Jackson observed.

"I could do what Cam would do," Carter said and smiled as she lifted he weapon, but moved to the keypad she'd spotted. She had no idea what sequence to use to open the barrier, but hoped by smashing it they would get the desired result. She lifted her gun and struck the console several times until a large glass panel opened in the wall. She stepped through and wrinkled her nose at the foul smell that permeated the area.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Mitchell struggled toward consciousness as the sound of sobbing reached him. He blinked several times and shifted on the small bed he lay on as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He managed to sit up, groaning when the movement sent dagger like pain through his right shoulder. He realized he was naked from the waist up except for the bandages wrapped around his shoulder.

Cam gingerly stood up, curling his toes when his feet came in contact with the cold floor. The room he was in was illuminated by several candles that flickered when he reached the door and pulled it open. Darkness greeted his eyes as a cold wind rustled the branches of the nearby trees. A strange sound, a cross between a coyote and the whinny of a horse, reached his ears

"You should stay inside, Colonel Mitchell."

"What the hell is that, Layonna?"

"It is the serpent. It is searching for nourishment," the woman answered as a bloodcurdling scream was joined by a second, then a third.

"We need to help them," Mitchell observed.

"You cannot help them. This is who they are and nothing you say or do will stop it from happening has it has for centuries," Layonna explained.

"Don't bet on it!" Mitchell spat.

"You will suffer the same fate as those you wish to protect if you do not heed my warning, Colonel Mitchell," Layonna told him.

Cam turned to see her standing in the darkness, a glowing aura of red surrounding her. Her hair moved as if the wind teased it, yet he could no longer feel anything as he stared into the dark eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"This is the way of our world, Colonel Mitchell. You and your friends came here without our blessing and tried to interfere in our way of life. It will not change the outcome, but perhaps it will show us more fertile grounds."

"Who are you? What are you?"

"We are the keepers of the realm, Colonel Mitchell. Here we preside over the people and the creatures who are trapped here."

"Trapped by who?"

"It does not matter, Colonel Mitchell, all that matters is that you resign yourself to your life. You will not leave this realm."

"So you say," Mitchell said as a second scream reached his ears. He moved past her and stared around, but the darkness was absolute as a chill raced down his spine. The air surrounding him felt heated as a flutter of wings brought his head up. A serpent circled above his head, it's wingspan easily a dozen feet wide while it beak opened and closed in with a sharp clicking sound that grated on his nerves.

"No, the serpent does, Colonel Mitchell. It will not allow you to leave until it's brothers and sisters have finished feeding,"

"Feeding on what?" Mitchell spat and wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer as another scream rent the air. "It's feeding on the Talosians!"

"It is the way of life."

"How can you let that happen? They are your people!"

"No, they are not. They are of your realm, not of mine. I have told you I am the keeper of this realm. I protect the inhabitants here and make sure they have what they need to survive."

"Exactly what does that mean?"

"What?"

"What do they need to survive?"

"They need life for without it they will not survive."

Mitchell stared at the woman whose features were chillingly beautiful, yet he felt only repulsion as he stared into her eyes. "Like the Wraith?"

"I do not know what a Wraith is."

"Life sucking creatures in the Pegasus Galaxy. They drain the life from people and lave nothing but a withered dry husk in it's place. It sounds like these serpents do the same."

"They do not, Colonel Mitchell, but it would be difficult to explain what is happening, and hard for you to understand the way of life between this realm and the Talosian home world."

"Try me," Mitchell said and swallowed several times as the pain filled screams continued around him. Again he tried to move, but this time the beating of the serpent's wings created a strong wind that forced him back into the cabin.

"Are all your kind so stubborn, Colonel Mitchell?"

"Maybe," Mitchell told her. There was something about this woman he didn't trust and he watched as she turned toward the serpent and made several hand gestures before it soared above them and flew into the darkness. He'd seen the dark obsidian eyes and felt something stirring inside him. What was it about the creature that reminded him of a lost lamb being fattened for a feast.

"You should rest," Layonna told him.

"No, I need to find the way back," Mitchell said.

"The creatures will not allow you to leave this cabin until morning," the woman said.

Mitchell wanted to prove her wrong, but with the absolute darkness beyond the door, he knew it would be stupid to even try. His right shoulder burned and he unconsciously rubbed his arm as he walked to the bed and sat down

"I am glad you are not as stubborn as I thought," Layonna said and sat beside him. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Mitchell answered honestly.

"You should eat, Colonel Mitchell. I have warmed the Guliska stew. It is thick and will keep you strong," Layonna said and walked to the table. She ladled the savory stew into a wooden bowl, added a spoon and took it back to the bed. "Eat this and I will treat your wound before you sleep."

"The wound is fine."

"I do not believe you. By now it is burning and unless treated with the root of the Tabeya tree it will fester."

Mitchell sighed and took the bowl and spoon. He took a taste of it and couldn't help admitting that it was better than he expected. "Tell me about the serpents."

"They are what they are," Layonna told him.

"And what exactly are they?"

"They are creatures of habit and they feed on the Talosians because that is what they do."

"I don't think that's all of it, Layonna. There's got to be a reason they leave your realm..."

"They do not leave this realm, Colonel Mitchell."

"I saw one, Layonna."

"Yes, you did, but the creature you saw was nothing, but a phantom from this realm. They have no need to leave when they can simply bring what they need here."

"The Talosians?"

"Exactly."

"Then why did I see it?"

"I cannot answer that, but perhaps there is something in your physical and mental existence that makes you susceptible to their presence."

"Presence...if they're not really there then how can they have a presence?" Mitchell asked, surprised to see he'd finished the stew while they talked.

"They can project themselves into your mind and make you believe that they are there," Layonna answered. "They have the ability to see into your plain of existence, but they seldom use it. Why they chose to show you their physical form I do not know, but you should feel honored that you will be one of them..."

"Excuse me?" Mitchell snapped.

"You were chosen for a reason. One I am not privy too, but the longer you remain here the more noticeable the changes will become. You must rest while I see to your wound."

"Don't touch me," Mitchell said, but found he lacked the energy to fight her. He stared into the empty bowl and felt his eyes closing as she helped him lie down.

"Rest, Colonel Mitchell, for it will take time for you to change and I am afraid some of those changes will be painful for you."

"Need...need to go home," Mitchell told her, but could not move as his body felt weighed down and darkness enveloped his mind in a flurry of wings.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

Carter looked around as Teal'c and Jackson joined her. The lighting was dim, but they could make out shapes along the opposite wall and several monitors on the wall to their right. The monitors flickered to life as Daniel touched a lone pedestal style console with his right hand.

"Can you make any sense of that?" Carter asked as lines of script glowed a luminescent green. The stench that had been so strong seemed to have dissipated with the opening of the door.

"Some of the letters and figures look familiar, but I won't know until I study them further," Jackson said his interest piqued by the strange combination of letters and pictures.

"Colonel Carter, perhaps we should investigate further," Teal'c said and motioned toward the large doors that were slowly opening across from the monitors.

"Daniel..."

"I'm good here, Sam," Jackson said and opened his pack.

"We'll check in with you every 15 minutes," Carter told him.

"Yeah, yeah," Jackson said and began scribbling down the symbols he was familiar with.

Carter and Teal'c moved to the fully opened doorway and looked inside. A corridor stretched out before them, lit at twenty foot intervals by strips of fluorescent bulbs. Teal'c was the first to step through, while Carter covered him with her weapon. The lighting grew brighter as they began walking along the strange tunnel.

"Where do you think this leads?" Teal'c asked.

"I have no idea, but I think it's headed north, away from the city. It's strange that we didn't see this from the outside," Carter said.

"Perhaps it is cloaked like the puddle jumpers in Atlantis?"

"Maybe, or else the Talosians have some technology we don't know about," Carter told him and stopped to look around. "Do you hear that?"

"I hear nothing," Teal'c answered.

"You sure?"

"I am," Teal'c told her and watched as she moved toward the nearest light. "What do you hear?"

"I'm not sure," Carter answered and tilted her head slightly. "It's gone now."

"What did it sound like?" Teal'c asked when they moved forward once more.

"I'm not sure...maybe the sound of wings flapping," Carter answered.

"Could it be the serpent Colonel Mitchell saw?"

"I don't know...maybe. Let's just keep our eyes and ears open."

"My eyes and ears are always open, Colonel Carter."

"I know...it was just a figure of speech," Carter told him. "Have you noticed there are no doors and windows?"

"I have," Teal'c answered and turned to look back toward the door they entered through. "How far would you say we have traveled?"

"I don't know..not far. Why?"

"Where is the door?"

"Back...maybe we traveled further than we thought," Carter said.

"I do not think that is the reason, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said. "All is not as it seems."

"Maybe we should go back?"

"I do not believe that is possible," Teal'c said, but followed Carter back the way they'd come.

"Daniel, can you hear me?" Carter asked into her mic.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Daniel Jackson studied the symbols and letters, marking them down as they appeared, and checking the ones that were familiar to him. They made no sense in the pattern that flowed across the scene, but given time he knew he could figure out what it meant. He'd heard Carter and Teal'c talking as they stepped through the newly formed door, but he concentrated on what was before him.

"_Daniel, can you hear me?"_

"I hear you, Sam. Is something wrong?"

"_Is the door still open?"_

Jackson turned and was surprised to find the door had disappeared, leaving only the wall that had been there when they first entered. He stood up and made his way toward it.

"_Daniel, is the door still open?"_

"The door isn't here, Sam," Jackson told her.

"_Can you find a way to open it?" _

"I'm not sure where to start," Jackson told her and turned to look at the monitors. Nothing had changed, but that didn't mean anything as he walked back to the panel Carter had destroyed. "Sam, I'm going to see if I can find the panel that controls the door."

"_All right, Daniel, Teal'c and I are going to keep searching the tunnel. Maybe there's another exit."_

"Just be careful...the exit might just lead somewhere you don't want to go," Jackson said.

"_We'll keep checking in at 15 minute intervals unless we find something."_

"I'll let you know if I find another entrance. Sam, you and Teal'c be careful," Jackson ordered.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Mitchell woke to a pounding headache and a dryness in his throat that made him think he'd been sleeping for days. It reminded him of the way he felt after waking from the drug given to him by the Sodan warrior who'd saved his life. He sat up and rubbed at his temples before rotating his shoulders. Something didn't quite feel right, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was.

Cam tried to move, but his body felt weighed down. He tried to stand, wavering on unsteady feet as he stumbled toward the door. There was no sign of Layonna, and right now that was fine by him because he wasn't sure what he'd do to her. The wounds on his back burned,reminding him of fire ants crawling beneath his skin.

Mitchell stepped outside and looked around, not surprised to find darkness still surrounded the circle of cabins. He remembered the horrific cries from the last time he was awake and hoped if was just a bad dream. He walked to the hut next to the one he'd been in and shoved open the door to find a lone figure stretched out on the bed.

"Teronis," Mitchell called the Talosian's name, but the figure didn't move. Cam stepped closed to the bed, frowning when he saw rippling waves and bony protuberances between the man's shoulder blades. "What the hell?"

"Pl...please, help...help me."

"Teronis, I want to help, but I need to know what's happening. What is this?" the colonel asked as the man arched his body and tried to come off the bed.

"I do...don't know...it hurts...burns..."

"Let me take a look," Mitchell told him and pressed him back to the bed. The dim light cast by the single lamp in the corner only made what he was seeing that much worse. It was like something out of a low budget horror movie where they didn't have enough money to pay the electricity bill, let alone hire an actor to play the lead role.

"Cal...Callisia...find Callisia," Teronis whispered, his body jerking as his spine seemed to move as if with the ocean tides.

"Where is she?" Mitchell asked, gasping as the burning sensation in his back intensified.

"I tri...tried to find her, b..but the serpent...it took her...can't..it hurts."

"I know it does," Mitchell said and realized he really did know how much it hurt. God, help him, but there was something happening to him and he knew he had to find Layonna and force her to tell him how the hell he could leave this place. He stood up, crying out as something moved beneath his skin, as if his body was being restructured with each breath he took.

Cam wished he knew what to do to help Teronis, but there were no answers, not here...not until he found Layonna or the way back to his own realm. He exited the cabin, his gut churning as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. He leaned against the outer wall as what little as still in his stomach came up in a noxious stream.

Mitchell knew he had to escape the Mastyque before the changes he'd seen in Teronis magnified in his own body. He looked toward the surrounding darkness and let his instincts take over. Layonna had told him he would not survive in the darkness, but something told him the answers he needed were there. Without thinking about it, Cam moved toward the back of the cabin he'd been in and forced his way through the thick brush.

The foul smell hit him instantly and he covered his mouth and nose with his left hand while brushing back the scaly branches with his right. There was no sound, just the sickening stench that did nothing to alleviate the nausea churning through his gut. He had no idea how much time passed before he stumbled through the thick brush and fell to his knees on a narrow path.

Mitchell dropped to the ground, rolled onto his back, and tried to ignore the pain the move made. He stared up, past the gnarled trees with dead branches, to the luminescent sky above them. There were no stars, but a sliver of pale green shone through and cast a pulsating glow across the landscape. Cam knew he should keep moving, but he wasn't sure he had the strength to get back on his feet.

"You were warned, Colonel Mitchell!"

"Been there, done that!" Mitchell shot back as Layonna appeared above him. At least it looked like Layonna, but Cam could see right through the image as if she was a ghost. He turned onto his hands and knees, clutching his gut as he finally made it back to his feet.

"The changes have begun, Colonel Mitchell, you will die if you leave The Mastyque."

"Then I guess I'll die because I'm not staying here to become one of those things. Why are you doing this?"

"It is the way of my realm. If we do not then we will die. We will not allow that to happen."

Mitchell leaned on his knees as he fought back the pain and dizziness. There was no way in hell he would become whatever it was she wanted and he knew it was time to get moving. He forced his legs to support him and started down the narrow path, pointedly ignoring the woman who wanted to trap him here.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carter and Teal'c continued along the corridor, searching for anything that might tell them where it would end. They'd been walking steadily, sometimes up hill, sometimes down, yet their surroundings didn't change. There seemed to be no end to the tunnel, until Sam drew up short and turned to look at her companion.

"Do you feel that?" Carter asked and watched ass Teal'c tilted his head slightly before acknowledging the change in the air temperature.

"Perhaps we are near the end," Teal'c suggested and took the lead. The cool air intensified, bringing with it the overpowering stench of decay. He blinked in an effort to clear his vision as they reached the end of their journey. He stopped and studied the area as Carter moved to the single pedestal set in the center of a large high-domed room.

"Teal'c how far would you say we've traveled?" Carter asked and looked around.

"I am not sure," the big man answered.

"What would you say if I told you we're back where all of this started?"

"We could have traveled that distance," Teal'c said and joined her at the console, surprised when he saw what she had. The clearing where they'd met with the Talosians was seen through a large bow-like window.

"At least we know what's inside now," Carter said and stepped around the pedestal. A door formed next to the window, but there seemed to be no way to open it.

"_Sam? Teal'c? Is everything all right?"_

"We're okay, Daniel. We reached the end of the tunnel."

"_Is there an exit?"_

"There's a door, but we need to figure out how to open it. We're back at the meeting place we had with the Talosians," Carter explained. "Have you had any luck getting the door open on your end?"

"_Not yet. I'm beginning to see a set pattern here, but it's hard to say whether it's the reason the door opened or not. For all I know I could be keeping it locked."_

"You keep at it from your end while Teal'c and I check this out."

"_Have you seen anything that could tell us where Mitchell is?" _

"Not yet," Carter answered.

"_Damn...okay, next check in is in 15 minutes and we need to send a message back to the SGC."_

"I know...it might be up to you to get back to the gate if Teal'c and I don't get out of here," Carter said.

_'All right, Sam, but be careful."_

"You too, Danny," Carter said and moved back to the pedestal as Teal'c began searching the perimeter for an opening.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Mitchell stumbled along the path, ignoring the growing discomfort as he tried to find a way back home. Several times he had to stop to catch his breath, and hope that what he was feeling in the wounds was not the same as what he saw on Teronis' back. Somehow he knew the answer was back there, in that circle of cabins, but he needed to escape before it was too late.

The screeching sound he heard above him made him stop and search the sky, but he could see nothing against the weird discoloration. He turned his head to the side and grabbed at the nearest stunted growth as his stomach heaved and sweat beaded on his brow. He felt someone watching him, and knew Layonna was close, but he didn't give a damn as he forced one shaking leg in front of the other.

"It will bring you back, Colonel Mitchell."

"Go away, Layonna."

"Come back with me now or the creature will bring you to me."

"Call it off, Layonna!"

"I cannot do that! You belong in this realm now just as the others do!"

"No, I don't," Mitchell ground out.

"Even now you feel the changes. Can you feel the strength flowing through your veins? You will be so alive when the changes are complete."

"No, I won't let it happen."

"You have no choice now, Colonel Mitchell!"

Cam heard the creature swooping toward him and lifted his arms to protect his head. He heard the woman speaking, but he did not understand what she was saying as the talons dug into his shoulders and lifted him from the ground. He struggled to get free, but the serpent continued its upward journey and flew back to the circle of cabins. It lowered him to the ground with a gentleness that belied it's image, leaving Mitchell in a circle of Talosians who were in varying degrees of change.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

Daniel Jackson frowned as he took readings from the area while studying the symbols before him. He'd noticed a pattern, similar to some of the ancient texts he'd helped decipher, but there was still a long way to go. He tapped several of the symbols and looked at the encoded messages before checking his watch. They were already overdue for their check in with the SGC, and he knew it was time to head for the gate.

"Sam, are you there?"

_*"I'm here, Daniel, where are you?"*_

"I'm still in the building. Look, I'm going to head for the Stargate and update them on what's happening. Are you and Teal'c any closer to getting out of there?"

_*"Not yet. I was hoping we could find a key to the locking mechanism, but I haven't been able to figure it out. There's a window and we just might have to resort to using force."*_

"We're already late for our check in, and it will take me at least an hour to reach the Stargate. You're a lot closer than I am so give it a try," Jackson said.

_*"Teal'c heard you and he's..."*_

Jackson squinted his eyes at the sound of gunfire that effectively drowned out whatever Carter was saying. He wasn't sure how man rounds the big man fired, but he was pretty sure he heard the sound of shattering glass. "Sam, did it work?"

_*"You could say that. It seems the window was an illusion."*_

"What kind of illusion?"

_*"That's going to be hard to explain."*_

"Are you able to get out?"

_*"Maybe, but we're not sure where out is?"*_

"Say again?"

_*"There's nothing there. At least not what we thought we saw. Teal'c and I are going to see if we can find out where it goes."*_

"Where what goes, Sam?"

_*"The window..."*_

"Was an illusion. I got that, but what are you seeing now and what makes you think that's not the illusion?"

_*"Daniel, when the window shattered it opened up a pathway of some kind. There's...hold on Daniel, someone's coming."*_

"Sam, are you there?" Jackson asked, but got no answer. He looked at the data, torn between it, the gate, and whatever was happening where Carter and Teal'c were.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carter moved toward the dark pathway, ignoring Jackson's worried voice as she held her P90 in front of her. The sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears and she felt Teal'c standing beside her as whoever it was came closer to their position.

"It could be Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c offered.

"I don't think so," Carter said, surprised when she spotted more than a dozen figures moving toward them. She recognized several, but they seemed unaware of their presence as they stepped out of the tunnel.

"They do not seem to see us, Colonel Carter," Teal'c Observed.

"I know," Carter said, lowering her gun slightly as she spoke to the woman nearest her. "Janolia, where have you been? Where are the others? Have you seen Colonel Mitchell?"

The Talosian gave no sign that she heard anything Carter said, staring straight ahead with eyes that were hooded and vacant. The others had the same blank look on their faces and stood staring, as if they were unaware of their surroundings. They took shallow breaths, as if the very air they breathed might be toxic to them. What seemed prevalent was the fact that they all looked as if they'd lost weight and their clothing seemed to be threadbare and musty smelling.

"Janolia, where have you been? Where is Colonel Mitchell?" Carter repeated, but received no answer.

_*"Sam, are you there? What's going on? I'm going to try and blast my way through..."*_

"Daniel, we've found about two dozen Talosians, but they seem to be in a trance of some kind. "

_*"Is Mitchell with them?"*_

"No," Carter answered. "Look, Daniel, Teal'c and I are okay for now so go back to the gate and let the SGC know what's happening."

_*"Are you sure?"*_

"I'm sure. Just tell General Landry not to send any more teams through," Carter warned.

_*"It may already be too late for that."*_

"I know, but tell him right now we're okay," Carter ordered.

_*"All right. I'm leaving now, but if you need me before then just contact me, and Sam, be careful."*_

"We will," Carter told him and returned her attention to the people standing in the room. "You heard?"

"I did. We should try to get out of here," Teal'c said.

"I agree. Maybe once they are out of this room they'll snap out of it," Carter said and moved back to the console. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the symbols, unaware that Teal'c was watching her closely. She let her hands move across the keys until she felt the change in the air and opened her eyes just as the room shimmered and disappeared.

"Colonel Carter, are you all right?"

Carter swallowed several times before opening her eyes. She blinked until her vision cleared and looked at Teal'c as he helped her to her feet. "What happened?"

"I am not sure, but whatever you did worked. We are outside."

"I see that," Carter said. She recognized the clearing and was slightly surprised to see the Talosians had also escaped the structure. Most still seemed to be in a trance, but a couple were showing signs of coming out of whatever had held them spellbound. Sam moved to the dark haired woman she'd spoken to earlier and touched her shoulder. "Janolia, can you hear me?"

"I...who...what's happened? How did I get here?"

"You came through the tunnel in there," Carter answered and saw fear on the woman's face.

"No, we're not allowed in there. That's only for the chosen ones...we could be..."

"Could be what, Janolia?" Carter asked and turned to see a young male drop to his knees as a screaming wail escaped from deep in his throat. She hurried to him in time to see his body convulse in a grotesque display as if the bones would break through the skin. "Janolia, what is this?"

"He was there too long...the change...once it takes control it is too late," the woman answered, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"We were here last week, Janolia. How long after we left did this happen?"

"I don't know. We...we were having the morning meal when Layonna came to us and said it was time for the chosen to follow her over to her realm. She...she said we would not be harmed, but that it was our destiny to become what our past dictates."

"Do you know what she meant?" Carter asked.

"Sam!"

Carter turned to see Daniel hurrying toward them from the trail that led back from the gate, and wondered exactly how much time had passed between the arrival of the Talosians and waking up outside the structure. She glanced at her watch, but it seemed to have stopped. "Daniel, what time is it?"

"It's nearly eight," Jackson answered.

"What? Teal'c did you lose consciousness?" Carter asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"I believe I did," Teal'c answered and tipped his head to the right.

"Daniel, did you contact the SGC?" Carter asked.

"General Landry is giving us 12 hours to find Mitchell before he sends reinforcements, unless we miss another check in. If that happens he'll send reinforcements," Jackson told her.

"We need to find out what happened to these people," Carter said and returned her attention to the Talosian woman while Jackson examined the man who'd collapsed at her feet. "Janolia, do you know what Layonna meant when she told you it was your destiny?"

"There were stories," the woman answered and looked into Carter's eyes. "That's all they were...stories. They couldn't be real."

"Tell me about the stories," Carter said and led the woman away from Jackson when he told her the man was dead.

"When we were children we were told there would come a time when our people would emerge stronger than ever, but not before we opened negotiations with the others. When your people came through the Stargate we thought it was a sign that the prophecy was coming true."

"What prophecy?" Jackson asked.

"That we are to rejoin our ancestors and take their form."

"What form?" Carter asked.

"We would be able to take flight," Janolia answered.

"Take flight?" Jackson asked.

"Yes, our bodies would change so that we no longer...but that was just a story," Janolia sobbed as she looked at the dead man. "He should have told me what was happening."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Teal'c asked softly.

"Not really, but he was there longer than I was and should have stayed, but I didn't want to," the woman cried and sank to her knees. "I didn't want to become one of them."

"One of who?" Carter asked.

"One of them...the creatures we saw in our visions. He saw them before he disappeared and then I started seeing them. They were like something out of a nightmare," Janolia explained between sobs as Carter held her. "Please, don't make us...don't make me go back there."

"We won't, but we need you to show us how to get to the other realm..."

"She cannot do that, Colonel Carter."

Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel turned as one to see the woman step from behind the statue and glide across the ground toward them. She'd changed since they'd last seen her and Carter wondered if traveling between the realms was taking a toll on her body.

"What are you doing to these people, Layonna?" Jackson asked.

"I am helping them meet their destiny," the woman answered.

"So they end up like him," Carter said.

"He should not have attempted to return. He would have lived a long life, but because he came back through his body could not withstand the changes."

"Where is Colonel Mitchell?" Teal'c asked.

"He is with the others and has already begun to change. Like the others he would die," Layonna explained.

"There has to be a way," Carter said.

"There is not," Layonna said.

"They came back," Jackson said and motioned to the people who seemed to be confused, but looked like they were coming out of a trance.

"It will end for them as it did for him," Layonna said and shook her head. "You are not of Talosian decent and do not understand the way of our world."

"I thought you said this was not your world," Carter observed.

"No, I said this is not my realm, but the worlds exist parallel to one one another. You cannot begin to understand what happens if the balance between them is not kept."

"Try us," Carter said.

"This world has always been divided. Its people were at war from the beginning, long before they emerged from the depths of the ocean. Then one day a rift opened allowing the two reals to meet at 100 year intervals. It changed the very structure of what you call DNA and allowed us to see that we did not need to hunger any longer."

"Hunger for what?" Jackson asked.

"Life. In our realm there are many creatures that exist and feed of each other in a symbiotic relationship much like the creature Teal'c carries inside him. Like all living things the strong survive and take what they need from the weak. We are simply proving that we are powerful enough to take what we deserve."

"By forcing these people to change?" Carter asked, disgusted at what the woman was saying.

"We have a right to survive, Colonel Carter. Would you not kill all the Goa'uld if they continued to pose a threat to your kind?"

"Only because they do pose a threat," Jackson answered.

"Take heed, Daniel Jackson, leave now and do not try to find Colonel Mitchell. He is beyond your reach and can never return," Layonna warned and simply disappeared before they could move on her.

Carter turned her attention to the woman whose eyes were wide with fear and shook her until she focused on her. "Janolia, we need your help."

"I can't help you...none of us can."

"Yes, you can. How do we get back inside?"

"I don't know. We were never to enter the building and were never told how to get inside."

"But you were inside and that means there had to be a way in there. Where were you before you were taken?" Jackson asked her.

"I don't remember," Janolia told them fearfully.

"What about the other? Do they remember where they were?" Carter asked as Teal'c moved around the clearing.

"I don't know."

"Janolia, do you want the rest of your people back?" Jackson asked.

"Of course I do. My children are still missing," the woman answered.

"Then we need to find a way to get back inside," Jackson told her.

"Daniel, maybe we can find the console back in the building," Carter observed. "I found it once, but maybe it'll be easier now that we have the Talosians to help us."

"Maybe we should have Landry send reinforcements," Jackson observed.

"Does Cam have that much time?" Carter asked and turned to Janolia who was speaking softly to an older couple. "Janolia, do you have any idea how long you were gone?"

"Not really. There was no way to measure time there. It was dark and smelled of death and decay. There were always people screaming, but I don't remember why."

"Sam, we know this happened some time after our last visit so that gives us a place to start," Jackson said.

"So we know it was anywhere from a day to over a month ago," Carter observed. "Cam was taken yesterday, but we have no idea whether the time flow over there is the same as it is here. We need to move on this, Daniel."

"I know, but we also need help," Jackson said.

"I will go back to the gate while you search for a way inside," Teal'c told them.

"I have a feeling the best chance we have of finding a way inside is back in the city," Carter said.

"I will meet you there," Teal'c aid and headed toward the gate.

"What about these people?"

"We can't just leave them here, Daniel," Carter said and with Janolia's help they gathered up the Talosians and headed toward the city.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Cameron Mitchell knew he wasn't alone and opened his eyes to find himself laying on the ground. He could feel obsidian eyes watching him from the darkness and tried to sit up. A scratching sound reached him, followed by a sharp hiss that was quickly masked by another sound that reminded him of a number of large birds taking flight as one.

"Easy, I just need to sit up," Mitchell tried and cried out when it felt as if his bones were fused. He swallowed several times and tried to see into the darkness, shocked that he could actually make out the shapes. He recognized them as the creatures that had plagued his dreams and kept him from sleeping during the weeks since his team had last visited Talosia.

Cam knew something was happening to him, and wondered whether the changes were permanent. God, help him, he wished he knew why his body was changing, or what he was becoming, but something told him he might not like the answers. He managed to sit up, but when he tried to lean back against the wall it felt like something was tearing him apart from the inside.

"God," he cried and soon felt something touch his cheek. He looked up into a face that seemed oddly familiar, yet the changes were undeniable.

"The change is coming, Colonel Mitchell."

"Callisia," he whispered as clawed fingers stroked his cheeks and darkness beckoned for him once more.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

Samantha Carter watched as Janolia took charge of her people and made sure they ate something once they were settled inside a small building at the edge of town. She had questions that needed answering, but right now they needed to eat and deal with whatever had happened in the other realm. She glanced at the building she and Teal'c explored earlier and hoped they could find some answers inside.

"Colonel Carter, I know you want to help your friend, but he is lost," Janolia told her.

"No, we know where he is, so technically he's not lost. Teal'c will be bringing people who know what to look for and they will find a way into the realm. We will get Colonel Mitchell back and we'll do our best to bring the rest of your people home."

"What if it's too late? What of my children? Will they die if they come back?" the Talosian woman asked.

"Would you rather leave them over there? Layonna doesn't strike me as the motherly type," Jackson observed.

"I want them home. I want to hold them," Janolia told them.

"Then we need your help," Carter said. "Tell us what you saw over there."

"There were small buildings...that's where we stayed. There were creatures...winged serpents that flew overhead as if they were waiting for something to happen?"

"Were you afraid of them?" Carter asked.

"No, they just seemed to hover as if watching over us. They wouldn't allow us to enter the dead forest that surrounded the village."

"Then how did you get out?" Jackson asked.

"I'm not sure. I seem to remember someone screaming...and a strong smell that made me dizzy. I tried to go into the forest, but the serpents would not allow it."

"How did they stop you?" Carter asked.

"They simply fluttered their wings and the stench coming from the debris was enough to stop us. I remember closing my eyes and being sick...my head was hurting, then the next thing I knew I was inside the building."

"There has to be more to it," Jackson said and watched as Janolia move back to her people.

"We need to get back inside," Carter said. "Remember the odor when we first broke through?"

"The one that smelled like something out of Rue Morgue?" Jackson asked.

"Something like that. I think it's a residual effect of traveling between the realms. Every time Layonna makes an appearance that smell is strong. If we can figure out what's causing it, we might be able to go after Cam," Carter explained.

"You think it's the trigger?"

"Maybe, or it could be a precursor to it," Carter said and walked toward the building where they'd broken the window. "Either way, we need to figure out what it is and where it comes from."

"Shouldn't we wait for Teal'c?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know if Cam has that much time. We can tell Janolia where we are going and have her fill Teal'c in," Carter said.

"Colonel Carter, if you go in there we cannot follow," a male Talosian told her, fear evident in his voice.

"We understand, Kerosha, but we need to find Colonel Mitchell and this seems to be the only way inside," Carter explained. "Would you tell Teal'c where we've gone?"

"We will tell him," Janolia told her.. "I hope you find Colonel Mitchell, but would you bring back my children too?"

"We'll bring everyone back if it's possible," Jackson said and stepped through the broken window. "Sam, what if we get over there and it's too late?"

"I won't believe that, Daniel, we're going to bring Cam home and put a stop to what Layonna is doing," Carter vowed.

"What if we're effected?"

"I don't think we will be. From what Layonna said it only effects those who see the serpents. So far we haven't seen anything...if we do we'll have to deal with it," Carter said and took a deep breath. There was a hint of the stench from earlier, but she ignored it as she moved toward the section where she'd found the entrance. She had no idea whether it would lead her back to the clearing or into another realm, but it didn't matter because they needed to find Mitchell before it was too late.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Cameron Mitchell knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was in hell. The pain was a constant now, with no way of telling where it started or if it would ever end. He could hear sounds now, unmistakable cries of pain that mirrored his own, and briefly wondered whether he should just give in to the darkness and let it absorb who he was just as the changes were absorbing his body.

Cam had given up on the idea of sitting up and lay curled on his side with his arms wrapped tightly around his midsection. Fire had ignited in his lungs and seemed to be intensifying with each breath he took. He'd tried holding his breath, but there came a time when he had no choice, but to breathe in. Each time he did so, Callisia was there, or at least it sounded like her and he allowed her touch to soothe away the pain.

"You must stop fighting, Colonel Mitchell. You must allow the changes and embrace what you are becoming," Callisia told him.

"No, I can't...I won't..."

"Then you will die," Layonna told him.

"Better to die as I a...am then be...become what you w...want me to be!" Mitchell snarled and fought to get to his feet. He turned onto his stomach, his teeth clenched tightly as skin stretched over newly formed boney protuberances along his spine.

"The changes will come no matter how hard you fight them, but it will go easier if you do as I say," Layonna said.

"I won't!" Mitchell vowed and stared at the woman who seemed to take pleasure in his suffering. He'd heard the others screaming and wondered what was happening to them, but there was no doubt in his mind who was causing the pain. He saw it in her eyes, in the pale features when he forced himself to his hands and knees. The pain went far beyond anything he'd ever felt before, his joints refusing to move as if they'd been fused together. He struggled to his feet and looked at the woman with anger and loathing as she reached out to touch him.

"You will make a wonderful pet, Colonel Mitchell..."

"I'm nobody's pet!"

"Not yet, but you will be soon. You will be like all the others who have come here and if you stop fighting you will understand what it is like to be a creature that is free to explore the skies," Layonna told him.

"That's not going to happen!"

"It already is happening, Colonel Mitchell. Can't you feel the changes? Why do you fight so hard to undo something that cannot be undone?"

"Everything can be un...done," Mitchell swore and tried grab her, but she simply moved aside as his legs refused to hold him any longer. He dropped to his knees, sending dagger like pain through his body and felt consciousness fading. He clung to it as if to give in would mean losing what little of himself was left.

"Go ahead and embrace what you're becoming, Colonel Mitchell! It is inevitable," Layonna said and turned to find several serpents watching her every move. She felt something change in the very air and knew someone was trying to breach the path between the realms, and she knew who they were. "Watch him and make sure he does not escape or you will all pay with your lives!"

Mitchell continued to fight the darkness even after she disappeared. He looked up as Callisia knelt beside him and folded her translucent wings around his body. He felt himself relaxing in her embrace, his body feeling the warmth as she held him, but he could not allow her to help him. He could not become what she was, no matter how good it made him feel.

"I am sorry, Colonel Mitchell."

Cam lifted his head and looked into eyes that were dark with a shimmering luminescence that seemed out of place. He frowned as others moved in, surrounding him while Callisia continued to speak in hushed tones. The darkness was getting stronger, the stench surrounding him and making his stomach heave.

"I wish I could stop what is happening to you, Colonel Mitchell, but Layonna would take away my children. I cannot allow that to happen. Sleep, and perhaps, when you awaken, you will feel the change is for the better."

In spite of his resolve not to give into it, Cam could no longer resist the darkness, but he was aware that he was no longer alone as he fought the changes quickly overcoming him.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

"How far would you say we've come, Daniel?" Carter asked and knew they'd travelled further than she'd gone with Teal'c. The tunnel she was in was unlike anything she'd seen before and reminded her of a cesspool. There also seemed to be a change in the slope of the corridor and they had to use the wall to keep their balance.

"I don't know, but according to my watch we've been in here nearly an hour," Jackson answered. "Did it look like this when you and Teal'c came through here?"

"No, and the smell wasn't this bad," Carter answered. "Maybe when the Talosians came back through they triggered the change."

"Maybe...I don't know about you, but the smell is making me nauseous," Jackson said.

"We could go back and get masks, but I have a feeling Cam doesn't have that much time," Carter told him.

"We won't be much good to him if..."

"I know, but what if...what if what Layonna said is true and he can't come back. We need to find him...we need to bring him home and let Carolyn help him."

Daniel knew she was right as they continued deeper into the corridor. The downward slope continued to intensify, making each step dangerous, yet there was no turning back. The smell and decay surrounding them gave credence to what Layonna had told them about 100 year intervals.

"Daniel, what if Layonna is the one keeping us from seeing the creatures she told us about?"

"Why would she allow Mitchell to see them?"

"I don't know...maybe it was too late once she realized he was seeing them," Carter said, grabbing Jackson's arm as the ground before her disappeared. She heard the man curse as he dropped to the floor and held her as her body continued to slide toward the edge.

"Hold on, Sam!" Jackson ordered. He grabbed at a metal pipe that had twisted around the brick and hoped it was strong enough to hold them. He could feel the strain Carter's weight was putting on his shoulders, but there was no way in hell he was letting go. He heard the screech of metal as the pipe shifted and he slipped further down the slope.

Carter grabbed for anything that would help take some of the strain off Jackson, but everything she touched crumbled in her hands or wasn't strong enough to hold her weight. She knew Daniel could not hold her indefinitely, and heard him grunt as he tried to get a better hold on her arm.

"Sam, see if you can grab that ledge," Jackson said and motioned with his head.

Carter looked to her left and spotted what he'd seen. It was a part of the wall that had broken away from the ceiling and looked sturdy enough. She reached for it, heard Jackson's sharp intake of breath and hoped she didn't dislocate his shoulder with her movement. She caught the edge with her fingertips and managed to guide them along until she had a solid grip.

"Sam..."

"I got it, Daniel, let m...me go," Carter ordered and grabbed the debris with her left hand. It effectively stopped her downward journey, and for that she was thankful as Jackson moved across the narrow ledge until he reached her position. She used her upper body strength and lifted herself onto the ledge with Daniel's help.

"That was close!" Jackson said and stared down into a pit of darkness.

"Tell me about it...thanks," Carter said.

"You're welcome. Do we keep going or go back?" Jackson asked, and looked back the way they'd come in time to see several slabs of flooring rupture before crashing downward with a screech that nearly deafened him.

"I guess we keep going," Carter said and stood up, leaning back against the wall in an effort to steady herself. She waited for Jackson to do the same and followed him along the ledge until they reached the other side where the ground suddenly straightened out again.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Teal'c wasn't surprised when SG4 and SG6 came through the Stargate with Carol Lam coming through last. General Landry knew that the Talosians who'd returned were in rough shape and could need medical attention. His daughter had volunteered to go through once she found out that Cameron Mitchell was missing. He'd quickly explained what was happening and had them on the path toward the city.

"Teal'c, do you know if what Layonna told you about the realms is true?" Lam asked as she fell into step beside the big Jaffa.

"I believe it is so, Dr. Lam. The Talosians who have returned spoke of another realm," Teal'c answered.

"Did they see Colonel Mitchell?"

"I do not believe they did, but I left before Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson questioned the fully. We will meet them at the city."

"Were there many injured?"

"No, but they were frightened. Something is happening to them in the other realm. One man died upon returning," Teal'c explained.

"Was there anything that might give us a reason for his death?"

"Janolia told us he was changing..."

"Changing how?"

"I am not sure. They were afraid of the changes, but did not explain while I was present. Perhaps Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson were able to find out more," Teal'c answered.

"We need to find out and get Colonel Mitchell back as soon as possible," Lam observed.

"Indeed," Teal'c readily agreed as they unconsciously picked up the pace.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Layonna watched as the serpents circled overhead, protecting the newest changelings as if they were their children. In a way, she supposed, they were, but in truth they belonged to her and the remaining inhabitants of this realm. There were not many of her kind left, but she could handle the serpents, even when all of the Talosians had changed.

Cameron Mitchell was another story altogether. The change was harder on him than it was on the others, and she wondered if it was because he fought it with every breath he took. She did not understand his unwillingness to embrace what was happening to him, but it did not matter because it was inevitable. He would become one of the serpents and live out his life in servitude to her kind, unless she took matters into her own hands and made him her mate.

"Would you embrace the change if it was not so physical, Colonel Mitchell? Would you become my companion?"

"No..." Mitchell ground out and heard a hiss from the woman.

"Am I not desirable? If you do not like looking at me as I am I can easily change for you. I can become whatever you desire and we could rule this realm as life mates."

"Ne...never going to...to happen."

"Do you enjoy pain and suffering? Is that why you fight so hard?"

"I fight for w...who I am!" Mitchell managed and shivered uncontrollably as nausea churned through his gut and fire raged along ragged nerve endings.

"Who you were, Colonel Mitchell. You are already changed in many ways and those changes cannot be undone."

"Heard that before...didn't believe it then...don't be...believe it now!"

"Believe what you will, but when the change is complete I will have you as my pet," Layonna said and looked skyward when a loud screeching wail echoed through the darkness. "You have no say in what happens to Colonel Mitchell, he is not a Talosian and therefore does not come under the laws that govern our relationship!"

Layonna watched a Mitchell's body arched upward and he bared his teeth before collapsing onto the bed. She sat beside him and reached out to touch the skin that had once been smooth, but was now showing signs of serpent like ridges and relished in the feel of pulsating blood beneath her touch.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter groped along the walls while using their feet to feel the ground in front of them. The darkness was absolute now and the flashlights no longer worked. Something had drained them of their power, leaving them no choice, but feel their way around and listen for anything that might signal they were no longer alone.

"How far do you think we've come, Sam?" Jackson asked.

"I have no idea," Carter said and pressed the light on her watch, not really surprised when it didn't work.

"Maybe we should go back," Jackson suggested.

"And do what? The tunnel is blocked and we have no idea how badly. At least this way..."

"Did you feel that?" Jackson asked.

"Don't you mean smell that?" Carter said and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Whatever it is we're getting closer to it."

"Didn't the Talosians mention something about a bad smell?"

"I think so," Jackson agreed as they continued on, hoping the underground trail led them to their missing friend. It wasn't long before he realized it was no longer completely dark and he could see shapes and outlines ahead of him. "Sam, be careful."

"I know," Carter said of the dangerous drop ahead of them. "Stay as close to the left side as you can."

"I hear you," Jackson said as he stepped onto the ledge and sent debris toward the bottom. It seem like forever before it stopped, and when it did it sent out a shimmering veil of translucent material that seemed to intensify the stench surrounding them. He ignored the smell, forcing himself to breathe through tightly clenched teeth.

Carter ignored the mounting nausea as she carefully made her way across the treacherous terrain. She could hear Jackson behind her and knew he was having the same trouble breathing the rancid air as she was. The stench was more than just a strong odor as it also bothered her eyes and she had to wipe the tears away in an effort to clear her vision.

"And I thought being sprayed by a family of skunks was bad."

"You were sprayed by a family of skunks?"

"The last time Jack took Teal'c and I to his cabin. Teal'c made the mistake of thinking they were cats."

"Oh, God, I can just imagine what he did," Carter said. Teal'c rarely showed it, but there were times when he showed just how much of an animal lover he was. He'd once found a stray puppy while visiting her home and had not rested until the dog had a new home with an older couple who had no children. The thought of the Jaffa trying to pet a skunk family made her chuckle softly. "So what did he do?"

"He reached down to pet one before Jack or I could stop him. The animal sprayed him and we took off for the cabin. We didn't want to let him in, but by the time we remembered to lock the windows it was too late. Jack couldn't use the cabin for a couple of weeks after that," Jackson explained.

"Tell me Jack had tomato juice on hand?"

"Not enough. We ended up driving to that little store near town and when we walked in the few people that were there started fanning their hands in front of their noses. Mrs. Thomas came out from behind the counter and told Jack he could put in his order from outside while she collected every can of tomato juice she had. This young man walked out of the store with his five year old son and looks at Jack with a smile and told him that kitties didn't have white stripes down their backs."

"That must have gone over well," Carter said.

"Not when everyone else started laughing. Jack was not a happy camper," Jackson told her.

"I bet he wasn't," Carter said, smiling at the image of Jack, Teal'c and Daniel being sprayed by a skunk family. She frowned, and held up her hand to stop Jackson when she heard sounds up ahead.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think we're alone anymore," Carter answered and continued across the divide.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Teal'c quickly found the Talosians gathered around the strange statue near the building he'd entered with Carter. Janolia had seen them coming and assured the others that they were safe and that they were there to help.

"You have returned," Janolia said when Teal'c and his friends moved closer.

"I have brought help, Janolia. This is Dr. Lam and she is skilled in medical knowledge. Tell your people she is here to help them," Teal'c advised.

"They don't need to be afraid of us, Janolia," Lam explained when she saw the other inhabitants shy away from her.

"I know, but they are weary of strangers now," Janolia told her and turned to what remained of her people. "these people are friends of Colonel Mitchell. They are here to help us."

"Help Tyrina...she is still changing," a young, male Talosian said as he held a child in his arms.

"Sharon, help me set up near the statue," Lam ordered and knelt beside the couple. "What's your name?"

"I am called Chalshin. Tyrina is my mate...please help her."

"I will do everything I can to help her," Lam said and examined a patch of scaly skin on the woman's exposed abdomen. "When did you notice this?"

"It started in the serpent's realm. Please make it stop before it is too late."

"I'll need to take some blood from her...from all of you. Are you showing any signs like this?"

"No, I was not gifted with the sight like she was."

"The sight?" Lam asked.

"It is said that a few are unable to see the creatures from the realm and we are sent back once the others have changed. I do not want to stay here without Tyrina. Please help her," the Talosian said.

"Janolia, how many of your people returned with this type of marking?" Lam asked.

"I will find out," the woman answered and moved to the others.

Lam could hear her askin her people and soon had four people laying beside Tyrina and her mate. There were patches of scaly skin visible in several area and pain clouded their eyes as she examined them. She gave orders to the people who'd come through the gate with her and hoped she had the resources and knowledge needed to help them.

"Janolia, where are Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"They went into the forbidden building to search for an entrance to the serpent's realm. They seek Colonel Mitchell," the woman answered.

"Dr. Lam, I will leave SG4 with you," Teal'c told her and turned to the SG team. He quickly told the team to stay and protect Dr. Lam's team while he took SG5 with him.

"Teal'c be careful, but if you find anything that could help me find out what's happening to these people..."

"I will send word," Teal'c assured her and led the way toward the building. They'd brought equipment that might be useful in gaining access to any part of the tunnel that was inaccessible. Major Tucker was carrying a supply of explosives, including C4 in his backpack while the others had technological equipment that might be used on the consoles.

"Teal'c where's the console Colonel Carter was working on when she opened the access doors?" Sargeant Ryan Thomas asked.

"Colonel Carter was working on the one in the corner," Teal'c answered and moved to the opening he and Carter had gone through earlier.

"I'll stay here and see if I can figure out how this thing works," Thomas said.

"Very well, Sargeant Thomas. I will take the rest of the team and search for Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson," Teal'c said and motioned for the others to follow him.

"Teal'c be careful," Thomas said.

"Indeed," the Jaffa said and stepped into the darkness.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

The world around Cameron Mitchell was not defined by the scents and scenes, but by the pain that now dominated every fiber of his being. It told him when to breathe, when to move, when to cry out, and when to scream. His body arched upward on the bed and the sound of shifting bones grating against each other reminded him of the changes his body was undergoing.

Even his mouth seemed to be wrong, his tongue no longer able to fit inside while his teeth edged over his lips. He could hear Layonna and smelled her breath as she placed her mouth against his.

"You will make a magnificent Serpent, Colonel Mitchell. You will do as I bid you to do and since you chose not to accept my offering I will leash you and treat you as my pet. The Mastyque are all powerful and were it not for the legends we would be treated as Gods..."

"That's what...what they all say," Mitchell ground out, annoyed that he found it hard to form words.

"You should save your strength, Colonel Mitchell...the worst is yet to come and when it is all over you will be trapped in a serpents body. Usually we wipe the memory to allow the converts to adjust to their new lives, but I believe I will allow you to retain that part of who you are. I will enjoy watching you suffer while you are forced to stay at my side."

"Nev...never happen."

"Sh, relax and let the changes take away your human side."

"No..." Mitchell screamed as she pressed against the bony protuberances that had once been his spine. He thought his screams were echoing through the surrounding dead foliage, but the sounds were not quite his own. He realized there were other serpents nearby, and felt a strange kinship to the creatures.

"You can feel them now can't you, Colonel Mitchell? Embrace you new kinsman and know you can never go back to the way you were," Layonna whispered and ran her fingers down his spine. She enjoyed the way he tensed beneath her fingers and the rough edges of the newly formed scales. "You will make a fine serpent, Colonel Mitchell, and you will learn to bow to my kind."

"Go to hell!" Mitchell ground out as his body dropped back onto the bed. He breathed through his nose, nausea churning through his gut as fire raged inside him. Her fingers pressing down on his lower back sent daggers of pain throughout his lower limbs and he convulsed as his visions blurred. Darkness surrounded him and drew him down, but he silently prayed Layonna was wrong and he would find his way home before the changes were complete.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carter reached the end of the tunnel and motioned for Jackson to stay where he was while she checked the area just outside the opening. It was dark, but there was enough light to see they were no longer near the Talosian city. The smell was stronger than ever now, while a strange fog seemed to cover the ground in front of her. She could hear what sounded like cries of pain coming from all directions, some more intense than others, but all of them sent chills down her spine.

"Can you see anything?" Jackson asked from behind her.

"It's dark...mostly shadows, but I think there's a village of some sort nearby."

"We need to find out if Mitchell is there," Jackson said.

"I know, but we won't be able to help him if Layonna finds us here," Carter told him, shifting back when she heard something above them. "I think that could be one of Layonna's serpents."

"I hope it's not Mitchell," Jackson observed.

"Janolia wasn't afraid of the serpents...maybe we should try to communicate with them," Carter said.

"How? We can't even see them."

"Maybe things are different here," Carter suggested. "I can sense something nearby...something circling overhead."

"Even if we can see them how do we communicate with them?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know, but we won't know anything until we try," Carter said and stood up with Jackson at her side. She held her P90 in her hands, ready to use it if necessary as they stepped outside. Something flew high overhead, but it was the lighting was too dim to make out what it was.

"Sam, you were right...those look like cabins of some kind," Jackson said of the strange looking buildings not far from the tunnel entrance. "Mitchell could be inside."

"I know, but we need to be careful," Carter warned.

"You were told what would happen should you defy the laws of this realm."

"No, we were told not to defy you, Layonna, and I'm afraid we don't take kindly to having our friends taken from us," Jackson snapped.

"Your friend is one of the chosen. He saw the creatures of my realm and is already changed."

"We'll find a way to bring him home," Carter said.

"He will die if you take him from here. This is where he belongs now."

"I don't believe that. The Talosians who returned are fine and Mitchell will be too," Jackson said and tried to find the woman whose voice grated on his nerves.

"The Talosians who returned were not meant to be here and neither are you. I will have you killed if you..."

"NO!" the cry came from one of the cabins and was soon echoed by the creatures above them.

"Mitchell!" Jackson called and was shocked to see the man stumbling from the cabin nearest him.

"What did you do to him?" Carter shouted and lowered her weapon as she rushed to Mitchell's side, aware of the changes that had taken over his body, but it was the deep pain in his eyes that had her turning her gun on Layonna. "I will kill you for this!"

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

Teal'c and the other members of the SG team made their way along the tunnel. They carried flashlights and started using them approximately half a mile into the tunnel. The lighting in here didn't seem to be working and the surface was little with debris that made their footing treacherous. The Jaffa led the way with the others following at five foot intervals.

Major Tucker had taken the rear and kept sweeping the area for any signs of trouble fro behind them. So fat nothing moved, except them as they followed the path taken by Carter and Jackson. He knew Carter, she'd been one of his staunchest supporters when he'd decided to join the SGC. His reputation had nearly cost him the chance to be on a team, let alone lead one, but he'd made it. Now he not only had the respect of others, but also respected what he knew about the SG teams and the people behind Stargate Operations.

"Major Tucker, I believe you will need to use your C4 if we are to continue," Teal'c said and panned the flashlight over the barrier that was blocking their way. "Can you arrange it so that there is no more damage to the tunnels?"

"I'll need to take a look at what it's made up of and judge the depth of the barrier, but I'm pretty damn sure I can take care of it," Tucker said.

"Indeed," Teal'c said and looked around as Tucker and Malone checked out the obstruction and began to set up the explosives. He hoped they were as good as their team leader seemed to think, otherwise they could end up bringing the whole place down on top of them.

"Teal'c we should move back," Tucker told him and made sure Malone and Jonson knew they were ready to hit the button and set of the C4. They moved back down the tunnel as Malone made sure everything was set to go.

"Fire in the hole," Malone said, using an old quote from a movie he'd watched as a kid. The resulting explosion was deafening and the four people held their hands to their ears as dust and debris reigned down on them.

Once the noise died down and the dust settled they moved into the open and checked to see if they'd dislodged the debris enough to push their way through. Their appeared to be a narrow opening and Malone worked with Tucker to remove enough of the barrier to allow them to crawl through to the other side.

"We should keep moving," Teal'c told them and sought out the safest route once they were through the destroyed section of the tunnel.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

The creatures hovering above them reacted to something only they could hear. Their wind caused by their outstretched wings spoke of their agitation as Layonna tried to get between Carter and Mitchell.

Carter could see the creatures clearly and something about them told her they would not allow Layonna hurt Mitchell. The woman had shown a hint of fear when they circled lower and let out a screeching wail that echoed through the surrounding deadwood. It hurt her ears, but she reached for Mitchell and ignored the other woman's warnings.

"You should go back where you belong before they kill you," Layonna told them.

"I don't think that's true, Layonna," Jackson said and joined Carter at Mitchell's side. "I believe you're the one who should be afraid. These creatures don't seem to be hostile."

"You are wrong, Dr. Jackson, these creatures are hostile and now that the Talosians are changing there will be more of them. They can help make Colonel Mitchell's transformation easier. Is that not better than seeing him suffer like this?"

"Colonel Mitchell was never meant to be part of this," Jackson snapped.

"Whether he was, or not, no longer matters. Look at his body and see how it has changed. He will be able to fly once these changes are complete. Do you really want to stop him from achieving something all people wish for?" Layonna asked.

"What about what he wants?" Carter snarled and glared at the woman.

"What he wants does not matter. He was chosen like the others and therefore must complete the Chagris and become one of the winged serpents who protect this realm."

"What is the Chagris?" Jackson asked.

"It describes the changes taking place in Colonel Mitchell's body and mind. When it is complete and he is whole he will soar and protect my kind and see that the Talosians rebuild and replenish themselves for the next harvest."

"You make it sound like you're growing crops, but what you're doing is called kidnapping and forcing people to change into the serpents," Carter told her and clung to Mitchell as his body shook with the force of an internal war.

"The Talosians were born for this. You cannot change their destiny any more than you can change what is happening to Colonel Mitchell," Layonna said.

"Even if that was true, Colonel Mitchell is not a Talosian and should not be forced to do this," Jackson told her.

"No one should!" Carter spat, as Mitchell latched onto her right arm, his body convulsing with the changes his body was undergoing.

"Sam...make...make it stop."

"We will, Cam, just hang on a little longer," Carter told him. "Daniel, we're going to need to carry him!"

"I know, but it'll be hard getting him through the tunnel," Jackson said and looked around.

"Perhaps we could help," a small Talosian offered.

Carter looked at the creature whose transformation was nearly complete. The long flowing dark hair looked spiked, while the eyes were a deep blue like the depths of the ocean. The arms were scaled and a thin translucent webbing ran from them to the body. The fingers of both hands were elongated and ended in pointed talons. The legs were shortened and bent at an odd angle, while it stood on the balls of what had once been feet.

"I am Shanisia, daughter of Janolia. I have chosen to accept my changes, but Colonel Mitchell was not and if you can help him we would be in your debt," the young Talosian said.

"Your mother is worried about you, Shanisia," Jackson told the child.

"Tell her I have accepted and embraced my destiny, but I will never forget her. If I am able I will cross the threshold to find her when I can," Shanisia said.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Shanisia?" Carter asked.

"Yes, the others of the Mastyque are not like Layonna. They allow us to choose our path and they make the changes easier for us," the Talosian said and looked at the angry woman who had brought them here. "The others fear her, but I do not. I have chosen to be here and I will help the others decide what they wish to do. If they choose to return home I will help them just as I helped my mother. Just like I will help you with Colonel Mitchell."

"You cannot remove him from this realm or he will die," Layonna snapped.

"That's not true, Layonna," Jackson said. "There were at least two dozen Talosians who returned to their world. My people are helping them now."

"I will not allow you to take him!"

"Why?" Carter asked angrily. "You have enough Talosians who choose to stay, so why do you need Mitchell?"

"I do not need to explain to you!"

"She feeds on his life force," Shanisia explained. "She is not like the others. During her life she has fought to turn back to the old ways. The ways that divided my people. When the rift between the two realms opened, Layonna's people found that they could harness the life force of the Talosians, but only if their was fear. Layonna is one of the oldest of the Mastyque, but the others are changing and no longer wish to follow her ways. She still has some power, but as each of us changes she loses control. Colonel Mitchell is unable to stop her from draining him and forcing the changes she began when she invaded his dreams during your first trip to Talosia."

"I promise you he will not survive if you take him from this realm," Layonna snapped.

"I...I'll take my chances," Mitchell ground out.

"Don't be foolish, Colonel Mitchell, can you not feel how much stronger these changes will make you?"

"I don't want this!" Mitchell spat.

"He is not Talosian, Layonna."

"And you are no longer Talosian either, Shanisia. You have embraced your destiny."

"Yes, I have, but it is my choice. I could fight this, but it is what I want. My brother has decided he does not want to become a serpent in this realm and wishes to go home. We have spoken with the others and those who wish to return will be allowed."

"You cannot do that!" Layonna snarled.

"Yes, I can. You will no longer stop the ritual from being done properly, Layonna. From the time you were allowed to feel the power and draw of this realm you have manipulated every other creature that resides in this realm. It will no longer be allowed," Shanisia said and felt the strength of the others surrounding her as she spoke freely.

"You are just a creature of the skies and have no right to speak with me about things you know nothing about. You are but a child."

"I was a child of Talosia, but here I have absorbed everything the others wish me to know. You have tried to destroy who we are and by doing so you have brought our numbers so low we are in danger of becoming extinct. The others of your kind have no desire to see my kind destroyed..."

"I do not wish to destroy your kind. I simply do what I must to ensure the two realms are kept apart. Sending Colonel Mitchell back would upset the balance."

"No it would not. He was never meant to be a part of this. The elders have spoken of your ways and they do not understand why you wish to change someone against their wishes."

"It has always been our way," Layonna snapped.

"No, it has not," Shanisia said, interpreting what the silver winged creature beside her was saying.

"I do not know why I am listening to you! I am willing to let Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson return to the other realm, but Colonel Mitchell stays here and completes his transformation."

"No way in hell is he staying here!" Carter snarled and made sure she stayed between Mitchell and Layonna as the winged serpents circled high overhead.

"It is my right as leader of my kind to choose a mate. I have chosen..."

"That right is only for the leader of your kind, Layonna," Shanisia warned.

"I am the leader of my kind."

"Not anymore. They have chosen to elect a new leader...one who will help cultivate the alliance between our realms and give the Talosians a chance to choose how they wish to live. We are going to return Colonel Mitchell, Colonel Carter, and Dr. Jackson and hope that they are able to stop what you have done. If not, and Colonel Mitchell wishes then he may return to us, but that will also be his choice, not yours, Layonna."

"You do not have the right or the power..."

"No, but between us we do and with the others of your kind we will make sure you hurt no one else," Shanisia warned and turned to the creature standing beside her. The low squeaks, followed quickly by several harmonic repetitions from deep in the serpent's throat was enough to feel it's anger. "The elders say I am to take Colonel Mitchell and the others who do not wish to stay and guide the back to Talosia. You are to remain here, Layonna, and are never to cross the threshold again."

"You cannot stop me."

Carter saw the smile form on Shanisia's changing features and realized Layonna had more than met her match. She reached down to help Jackson pick Mitchell up off the ground, but stood aside as the changing Talosian easily scooped him into her winged arms. She was shocked when she saw a large group of Talosians, some changing, while other untouched come out of the shadows and follow Shanisia.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Dr. Carolyn Lam finished taking the last of the blood sample from the Talosians and packed them in the sterile case she'd brought with her. She needed answers quickly if what she'd been told about the changes was right. She'd taken several samples from the Talosian who hadn't survived and examined him thoroughly. There were physical changes that told her something had messed with his DNA, but again she'd need the lab to give her the answers she needed.

Carolyn watched as Janolia walked amongst her people, talking softly to them and getting them to cooperate with her. She had no doubt the Talosians would have been less cooperative if not for the strong woman before her. Janolia's two children, Shanisia and Darishik were amongst the missing, but the woman was trying hard not to think about them.

"Dr. Lam, would you like some coffee? It is not as good as on your world, but it is strong," Janolia told her.

"Thank you, I would love a cup," Lam answered and walked toward the circle of people near the statue. She accepted the cup of strong coffee and watched the Talosians who seemed to be so lost. She felt as if she was looking at the last surviving members of a nearly extinct race and hoped the other were able to find a solution to bring the Talosians home.

"They are worried, Dr. Lam," Janolia observed of her people.

"Understandable, given the circumstances. I know you must be worried about your family."

"I am. Shanisia is strong willed, Darishik is like his father and will not understand what is happening to him. He will want to be home with me."

"Colonel Carter and the others will do everything they can to make that happen."

"I know, and I have seen your people at work. They are stronger than they appear and I hope they bring back colonel Mitchell and my people."

"I hope so too, Janolia," Lam said with a heavy sigh as she looked toward the building and darkness began to descend upon them.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

Teal'c continued along the tunnel, carefully avoiding the trench that had opened in the ground and fought the urge to search the bottom for his teammates. The trail was dangerous, but Carter and Jackson were not stupid and would have taken care while searching for Mitchell. He'd tried his radio, but there was no longer a signal.

"Teal'c, there's another barrier ahead," Tucker observed.

"I see that, Major Tucker," Teal'c said and dipped his head slightly once they reached the other side. "I believe it is possible to get through without using any explosives."

"It'll be tight," Malone offered.

"Indeed, but it does appear passable," the big Jaffa said and started through the narrow opening. The small flashlight he carried cast a bright white light on the walls, floor, and ceiling as he carefully picked his way along the tunnel.

"Do you hear that?" Malone asked.

"I don't hear anything," Tucker answered.

"I believe Sargeant Malone is referring to the fluttering sounds coming from the other side," Teal'c offered.

"It sounds like wings," Malone said.

"Maybe they have some pretty big birds there," Tucker said.

"If I am correct the sound is created by one of the serpents Colonel Mitchell saw," the Jaffa told them.

"Those things are real?" Malone asked.

"It is possible," Teal'c stated and pushed through the crumbling debris. He could hear Malone and tucker speaking in hushed tones, but he'd begun to notice a change in the lighting and switched off the flashlight. The walls seemed to glow as if they contained an element that made them similar to the walls of the caverns he'd visited as a young man.

"What is that?" Malone asked.

"It appears we no longer need flashlights," Teal'c told them and brushed away the debris that fell from above them. He glanced up, amazed that the ceiling was well over 30 feet above them and seemed to undulate with a life of its own. "We must keep moving."

Malone and Tucker looked up as Teal'c lead the way through the narrow tunnel, silently wondering whether the serpents the Talosians spoke of were as dangerous as those written about in children's books.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Layonna's anger intensified as she was forced to watch Shanisia take charge of the other creatures of her kind. The Talosians who remained in their original forms turned their backs on her and walked toward the beckoning darkness. If Shanisia was right, then even her own kind had turned against her and she would not have them behind her. This was not going to happen, not now. She'd worked so hard to bring about the changes that would facilitate the survival of her species. If she could retake the power from the serpents, her kind would live for years to come with more Talosians to take the place of creatures like Shanisia. Even humans like Cameron Mitchell, who had a natural ability to see into this realm could make her stronger.

Layonna could see the group making their way toward the path that would take them to the tunnel that was the only access between this realm and the Talosian world. She could not allow that to happen and she allowed her mind and body to change her into her true physical form.

"I will not be stopped!" she shouted as her body undulated and rippling flesh slowly remade itself into an unrecognizable creature with translucent skin that ran red with bulging veins. Her eyes grew dark, with streaks of crimson flowing through what was once the cornea and pupils. The arms and legs, once long and slender bulged as muscles contracted and reformed into appendages that ended in sharp edged claws.

"Layonna, you are not to interfere!"

"You are not strong enough to stop me. I have spent decades rebuilding my strength and learning to deal with your weaknesses. I will no longer be denied because the rest of you have no desire to take your rightful place. We are the keepers of both realms and we have the right to take what is rightfully ours!"

"You are wrong, Layonna. We were never meant to own these creatures or interfere in the lives of the Talosians. We are not the strong ones...Shanisia and the others of her kind are. They choose to become the serpents and live in this realm..."

"Our realm!"

"No, it is not...it never was. You have read the origin of the Chagris, yet you do not understand what is written in our history and theirs. You believe we were intended to be the strong ones, but we were meant to guide the serpents and offer advice. We were never meant to bend them to our will."

Carter and Jackson could hear the creatures behind them and turned just as two creatures stepped from the darkness. They were unlike the serpents, and were hideous to look at, but they did not fear them. They moved to stop Layonna, but she flapped translucent wings and a keening screech echoed through the decaying forest.

"Layonna, look around you and understand what you have done. Our realm was once beautiful and filled with hope because we accepted what we are, but you...with your need for power have brought us to this. You have destroyed everything we embraced and caused a rift that may never be crossed again."

"Do you think I am stupid, Rolian? I know who we are and I know we are far superior than the Talosians and Cameron Mitchell's people. They are there for us to use and if you and the others would simply open your eyes you would see that," Layonna snapped and turned away from the others. "I will not allow you to stop me...I will see that we are strong again!"

"Layonna, stop!" Rolian ordered, her voice melodic in spite of the slight quiver she could not hide.

"Go back to your lair, Rolian, I will see this through and perhaps I will allow you to embrace the power when the time is right," Layonna said and spread her wings. She flew toward the opening where the others had disappeared and smiled when she spotted Shanisia carrying Mitchell. There was no way that she could win against so many, but at least she could take Mitchell into exile with her.

Carter heard the high pitched screech behind her and covered her ears as she turned to see the winged creature bearing down on them. Where Shanisia and the others of her kind had a strange beauty to them, this one was hideous and looked like something out of a bad B movie. She knew who it was as Shanisia hissed before placing Mitchell on the ground.

"We will not allow you to take him, Layonna," Shanisia vowed as the others formed a protective circle around him.

Carter and Jackson knelt beside Mitchell as he tried to stand, but the weakness and changes to his body kept him from being able to do anything without assistance.

"G...get me up," Mitchell ground out through tightly clenched teeth.

"There's nothing you can do, Mitchell," Jackson told him.

"Shanisia and the others will stop Layonna," Carter said.

"Trust in my sister, Colonel Mitchell, she is far stronger than she appears," Darishik explained. He feared Layonna, but he had seen the changes in is sister since the Chagris had begun and knew she embraced what she was becoming. He did not share those feelings, but he would stand by her decision and accept her for who she truly was.

"He belongs to me!"

"No, he does not, Layonna. He is not a Talosian and what is happening to him is not right. He should have been given the choice," Shanisia told her.

"Do you not realize what you are, Shanisia? Do you comprehend the power you could have if you wanted it? You are stronger and better and you should embrace that."

"I embrace my choice, but I do not embrace what you want me to. I am not like you, Layonna. You are not of either realm and your own people have turned away from your beliefs. They wish to change the old ways and embrace the changes so that we all have a choice in what we do."

"They are weak!"

"No, they are stronger than you because with choice comes a strength born of giving..."

"You are wrong, Shanisia, because giving choices leads to indecision and lost chances. Where would we be...where would you be if you'd been given the choice of Chagris? Would you have chosen to become what you are if you did not understand what you are? Would you have embraced the chance to soared between the realms on wings or would you have remained a Talosia bound creature with little hope of ever seeing past the bridge of your own nose?"

"I would have kept an open mind as would the others like me. If this was what we were meant to be, then we would have gladly chosen it," Shanisia told her.

"You have no idea who you are dealing with."

"Yes, we do...and we will no longer allow you to force others to be what you want them to be. Rolian and the others have already seen what you have blinded yourself to..."

"Rolian and the others are weak, but I will leave you all to your new beliefs if you leave now."

"We are leaving..."

"Without Colonel Mitchell. He is the price of your freedom. It is a small price, is it not?" Layonna said with a grin.

"No, it's not!" Carter snapped and moved to shield her friend with her body.

"There's something you don't know about us, Layonna. We don't give in to terrorist tactics and that's exactly what this is," Jackson said and joined Carter even as Mitchell struggled to stand.

"Should that not be Colonel Mitchell's choice?" Layonna asked.

"You didn't give him a choice before," Shanisia spat.

"Perhaps not, but I will give him the choice now. Is your freedom worth more than theirs or will you stay with me so they may return to Talosia? The choice is yours, Colonel Mitchell," Layonna stated.

"I..."

"No, he won't stay here with you, Layonna, and you know why?" Carter asked.

"What reason would you give that would explain putting one man's life before so many?"

"One man's life is worth fighting for no matter what the price," Jackson answered. "Mitchell doesn't belong here."

"You are wrong," Layonna snapped. "He was chosen because he could see the creatures even when he did not know of their existence."

"Don't you mean your existence?" Carter asked. "If what we are seeing is your true form then you are also a serpent..."

"An ugly one," Jackson observed.

"Beauty has nothing to do with appearance...To me you are vile creatures who should never be allowed to procreate," Layonna spat.

"Layonna, you will leave them alone and not interfere in their or you will be severely dealt with."

"By who, Rolian? You are weaker than Mitchell's people and know nothing of my strength. I could destroy all of you with a flick of my..."

"Claws?" Jackson interrupted with a shudder as he looked at the woman who no longer bore a resemblance to the Talosians or the serpents who soared above them.

"I will not allow you to leave with him."

"I'm n...not staying!" Mitchell told her.

"Then you will die with your friends, but yours will not be an easy death, Colonel Mitchell," Layonna vowed.

"My Life...my death...my choice," Mitchell managed.

"No, it became mine when I allowed you to see what we are..."

"You broke the laws of the Chagris, Layonna!" Rolian spat, anger evident in the obsidian eyes as the flutter of hundreds of translucent wings broke the near silence that had descended over the area. "You know the punishment for doing that is severe and will be..."

"I do not fear you or your punishment, Rolian. I am stronger than all of you..."

"No, you are not," Shanisia interrupted and cast a glance over her newly formed wings. "Colonel Carter take Colonel Mitchel and leave with Darishik and the other true Talosians."

"We can't leave you here alone!" Darishik said.

"I will not be alone, Brother, for I have my new family surrounding me," Shanisia said and turned to look at him with eyes shining with bright light. "I will never forget my origins and if we are allowed I will cross between the realms and seek you out. Tell mother this is my choice and was not forced upon me."

"I will, Shanisia, be strong and come home when you are able," Darishik told her and hugged her before turning to the others. "We must leave now...Shanisia and the others will make sure Layonna does not follow."

"I will not allow you to take him!" Layonna bared her claws and snarled as Shanisia and the newly formed creatures surrounded her.

"There is nothing you can do to stop them," Rolian said as the elders joined them. "We stand with our children, Layonna, they are our future."

Carter and Jackson bent down, pulled Mitchell to his feet as Darishik and the others hurried down the path that would lead them to the threshold and back to Talosia.

Mitchell gritted his teeth as his friends tried to help him, but their touch sent waves of pain across ragged nerve endings. He tried to ignore the fire burning in his gut as he stumbled along, supported between Carter and Jackson. Their were several loud screeches from behind them, but he couldn't turn his head to see what was happening. He closed his eyes, waiting for the nauseating dizziness to end, but it seemed like there was nothing to ease the discomfort.

"We're almost there, Cam," Carter tried, but the truth was she had no idea how long it would take to make it back through the anomaly that seemed to connect the two realms.

"...k..."

"Colonel Carter, let me help," a large Talosian said and quickly took her place.

"Thank you," Carter said and looked into Mitchell's eyes before turning and setting a faster pace in hopes they could get through to the other side before Layonna caught up with them. She knew there was a good chance Rolian, Shanisia and the others would manage to capture her, but the woman seemed fixated on Mitchell and determined to force him through the final phase of the Chagris.

"Colonel Carter!"

"Teal'c, we need to get back!" Carter told him, surprised and pleased to see the Jaffa. "Shanisia and the others are trying to control Layonna, but if they can't hold her then she'll come after us."

"This way...but there are many dangers," Teal'c told her and lifted Mitchell into his arms as they followed Malone and Tucker back through the narrow path.

Jackson had never been so glad to see the Jaffa and relinquished his hold on Mitchell. The changes were not just physical and he knew the colonel was having trouble staying conscious as his body continued to undergo the Chagris. He hoped it would stop once they made their escape from this realm, but if Layonna was telling the truth, Mitchell might not survive the journey. They reached the opening to the tunnel and he heard a high pitched cry come from the man cradled in Teal'c's arms and knew this would not be an easy trip for any of them.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

Carolyn Lam looked around at the Talosians who seemed so lost, and silently hoped they would be able to make peace with whatever happened. She stood and watched as the sun dipped below the horizon. A cool wind blew between the buildings, and she watched the people huddle together as if they needed to know they were not alone.

Carolyn glanced at her watch, noting that seven hours had passed since Teal'c, Malone, and Tucker had disappeared down the tunnel. Ryan Thomas had been working on the console inside the building, but so far he hadn't been able to find out the full story about the Talosians and the creatures that supposedly came from the other realm.

"Dr. Lam, can you look at Flanista? He is not very well and I am afraid we may lose him," Janolia observed.

"Of course," Lam said and hurried toward the area the SG team had set up for the patients. She knelt beside the elderly man and place her hand on his forehead. The mobile monitoring equipment told her his fever had intensified and she quickly administered medication to help alleviate both the fever and his obvious discomfort. There wasn't much more she could do until Thomas broke through the barriers set up in the Talosian's computer network.

Carolyn knew the man was dying and there was nothing she could do to change that. His body was undergoing changes that he was too fragile for and the bony protuberances along his spine were inflamed. He shivered as if cold, yet the heat emanating from his body spoke of a high fever. She'd taken blood samples from the Talosians who'd returned and sent them back through the gate. It could take days before they had answers and until them it was up to her to keep them from succumbing to whatever it was affecting them.

"Will he be all right, Dr. Lam?"

"I don't know, Janolia," Lam told her softly. "I don't understand what's happening and until I do there's nothing I can do for him."

"You are doing everything you can, but I fear Layonna spoke the truth when she said we could not stop the changes," the Talosian woman said softly.

"Don't give up...we will do everything we can to find a way to help your people," Lam said.

"I am sorry for what is happening to Colonel Mitchell. Layonna should never have involved your people."

"If she hadn't...you and the others would continue to be subjected to her cruelty," Lam said and heard a harsh cry from the man as his body arched upward and white spittle spilled between tightly clenched teeth. She reacted on instinct and was glad of Layonna's help as Flanista's body grew rigid and a scream escaped his throat just before he dropped back to the pallet.

"Is he...will he..."

"I don't know, Janolia," Lam said and placed her fingers against his throat, shaking her head when there was no sign of life. She started CPR with the help of a young Talosian female, but there was nothing they could do."I'm sorry, he's gone."

"You did what you could, Dr. Lam," Janolia said and looked at the others who had turned to her for guidance.

"Will this happen to us?" Preaster asked and Lam moved to kneel in front of the young man.

"I don't think so, Preaster. Flanista was already changing when he came back from the other realm. He was old and his body was already weak," Lam explained, and wondered how bad things were for Cameron Mitchell and the others.

"What of the others...the ones who ave returned and are showing signs of the change?" Preaster asked.

"Most of them are young and strong," Lam observed. "I can't be sure, but Malika and Trayos are both showing signs of a reversal of the effects."

"Does that mean you can help them?" Janolia asked.

"I have no idea why the changes are disappearing, but as soon as I have the results of the tests I'll know better how to proceed. For now all we can do is keep them comfortable and hope it continues," Lam answered. "Try not to worry, Preaster, your mother and father are amongst those who are changing back now that they have returned."

"Thanks you," Preaster said and moved to sit with his parents while Lam and Janolia covered Flanista's body with a blanket until it could be removed.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Shanisia Stood her ground against Layonna, but she could feel herself weakening as the woman's grotesque wings seemed to engulf everything around them. The air thickened, threatening to choke them as she shifted and tried to take the full force of Layonna's anger. She called on the others and felt them surge forward even as Layonna flapped her translucent, red-veined wings and screeched in frustration.

Layonna knew she was losing to the native Talosians, but she would never back down. She would take what rightfully belonged to her and find somewhere else to survive, even if it meant she would be an outcast. Perhaps, if she gave them the choice they would give her what she wanted, if not she would kill them all and take Mitchell by force.

"Layonna, you must know you cannot win," Shanisia said.

"Why is that, Shanisia? Do you think I should fear the likes of you?"

"Perhaps not me, but together we will stop you from continuing to hurt our loved ones...our families," Shanisia told her as the others continue to support her.

"Your families will not want anything to do with you. Do you realize you are the very creatures they have been afraid of all their lives? Do you remember hearing your families talk about the serpents? The creatures who would swoop down in the dead of night and take your children while you slept?"

"We will show them the truth. They will know that those were simply stories made up by creatures like you. The others have chosen to return to our world and Colonel Mitchell made it clear that he does not wish to be with you."

"I am sure Colonel Mitchell would agree to my terms if he knew you and the others would be freed."

"He has already made his decision and is making the journey between the realms," Shanisia told her and felt the angry her words caused as Layonna's wings set off a wave of heated air that drove her backward.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Cameron Mitchell knew he was going to die, there was no way around it as pain shot through him. It burned through his gut as his muscles spasmed and his head felt ready to explode. The touch of Teal'c's arms against his body only intensified the effect, wreaking havoc with nerve endings and firing synapses until he wanted to scream.

"Teal'c are you all right?" Carter asked from beside him.

"I am fine," Teal'c answered. He knew he could not go on like this indefinitely and wondered if Mitchell could survive the journey across the divide that separated the two realms. He knew the man was in agony and had felt the bony protuberances that ran along his spine. He'd seen those and had expected them, but now he'd felt the shoulders shifting against him and wondered what changes were happening inside.

"Tell me when you need to rest and we'll stop," Carter told him and knew Teal'c could go on longer than the rest of them. She'd seen the changes in Mitchell and knew he was trying not to show them how much he was hurting, but right now they could not stop to deal with them. The truth was, she had no idea what to do to help even if they had the time.

"Colonel Carter, we're at the crevice," Malone called over his shoulder.

"Teal'c, are you going to be able to hold him?"

"I will hold him, Colonel Carter," the Jaffa answered.

Carter nodded and waited for Malone and Tucker to guide the Talosians across the narrow bridge that was barely wide enough for their feet. She looked at Teal'c and knew this could easily end in disaster, but there was no other way across. She nodded when he shifted Mitchell into a fireman's carry and ignored the sharp cry of pain that escaped from the man.

"Sam, what if we hooked up a pulley system of some kind," Jackson observed.

"Do we have enough rope?" Carter asked.

"I have some and I know the Sargeant does too," Tucker told them.

"Is there anything we can hook it up too?" Jackson asked.

"I believe I saw an opening in the rocks above the crevice, but it is hard to tell if it would hold Colonel Mitchell's weight," Teal'c told them.

"Try...it," Mitchell ground out as the Jaffa lowered him to the ground.

"It may not be strong enough, Mitchell," Jackson said.

"Rather die at the bottom than go back th...there," Mitchell managed and closed his eyes as his vision blurred and everything around him faded as the darkness beckoned to him. He had no idea whether he'd blacked out, but it was more likely than not that he did as Teal'c pulled him to his feet and hooked him up to some kind of harness they'd fashioned from the ropes.

"Cam, we're going to pull you across," Carter told him.

"How?" Mitchell asked. He listened as she gave him a quick explanation of what they would do and nodded that he was ready to go. "Too bad my wings aren't fully formed."

"Why?" Jackson asked.

"Could've flown across," Mitchell answered. He smiled in spite of the pain racing through him and was soon edging toward the deep crevice. It would be so easy to throw himself into it, but that would make him a quitter and his granny had always told him there were no quitters in their family. He wasn't going to let the woman down just because he faced a future as a circus act.

"Okay, Cam, we're going to start pulling you across," Carter called.

"Okay," Mitchell said, briefly wondering how she'd gotten to the other side so fast. He clenched his hands int fists as whatever they'd rigged up lifted him from the ground.

"Take it slow," Malone ordered, and reached out to help guide Mitchell across. He'd told the Tucker how to work the system from the other side and knew they would have to go slow or risk the whole thing collapsing. That wasn't going to happen, not on his watch.

"Be careful, Sargeant, the ropes are fraying because of the colonel's weight and the sharp edges," Tucker called from his vantage point on the other side.

Cam could feel the changes to his body with every move they made and nearly choked on the bitter bile that rose up in his throat. He listened to those around him, but found it hard to focus on what they were saying. He knew he was hanging over the abyss now, and lifted his head when he heard a sharp gasp from beside him.

"We need to keep going," Malone snapped and glanced toward Tucker and the Talosian males who'd offered their assistance. Between them they were pulling Mitchell across, but Tucker was right about the rope and he wasn't sure how much longer it would last. They were trying to keep a steady pace, but had to stop each time the colonel began to swing like a pendulum in a strong wind.

"Not much further," Carter said and swallowed several times when she heard the sound of rocks falling. God, she hoped it would last long enough to get Mitchell to safety. She held her breath as Mitchell swayed, dangerously fraying the rope even more as Malone reached out and steadied him. She knew one false step could send both men to the bottom of the crevice.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Ryan Thomas continued to work on the console and was rewarded when a new file opened up and the power came on around him It was hard working with technology he knew very little about, but he took it as a good sign. He'd always been a religious man and unconsciously made the sign of the cross before opening a secondary file.

Ryan reached for the cup of hot coffee someone had brought him and took a sip before renewing his efforts to find what was hidden inside. He glanced at his watch and noted that over seven hours had passed since Teal'c and the others had disappeared through the opening. He silently cursed his inability to break through the barriers faster, but at least now he was getting somewhere.

"Sargeant, you need to eat," Lam said and placed a wrapped sandwich on the edge of the console.

"I did," Thomas told her.

"That was four hours ago and contrary to what Colonel Mitchel and the others say coffee is not a food group," Lam told him and watched as his fingers flew over the console. "Did you find anything that can help the Talosians?"

"Not yet, but I've been able to access several files, it's just going to take time to sift through this stuff."

"I'll ask Janolia if any of her people can help you," Lam said.

"Thanks, Doc, I'd appreciate any help I can get," Thomas told her and opened the sandwich.

"Make sure you eat all of it, Sargeant."

"Yes, Ma'am," Thomas said.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Layonna knew she could not win against them, but she could not back down. It was her destiny to keep her kind alive no matter what Shanisia and the others thought. Even those who were pure, like she was, went against her. That could not happen and she knew it was time to use the secrets she had learned from her ancestors. There were other ways to cross the path between the realms, but most had been lost through the years.

"Layonna, leave now and you will be allowed to live, but if you try anything to hurt the Talosians then you will be banished to the fires."

"You do not scare me, Bariasta, but I will leave now and you have my word that I will not interfere with the Talosians," Layonna said and flapped her great wings. She soared high into the sky, circled several times and finally flew away from the clearing. She waited until the others could no longer see her before landing near a back entrance that would allow her to intercept Mitchell and the others. Once there she could take Mitchell, and if his friends tried to stop her, then she would simply kill them and be done with it.

Layonna relaxed her mind and body and returned to the Talosian shape before entering through the narrow opening. She'd learned long ago how to take control of her body, and now, unlike most of the others, she could do it at will.

The chamber she entered was large, with many bones scattered throughout the debris strewn floor. The rancid smell spoke of a recent kill and she knew her 'pet' had taken care of whoever had tried to use this branch of the tunnel. She moved toward the deeper shadows, enjoying the way the bio-luminescence made her body shimmer as if it was made of gold flecks.

She stepped toward the creature that was a prisoner of the chains she'd placed here long ago and knelt beside it. "Hello, Karberis, I trust you enjoyed whatever this was?"

The creature cowered away from her voice, but bared its teeth as she stroked it's hardened shell. Karberis had once belonged to a small group of fun-loving humanoids who'd come through the gate. She'd been fascinated with his laughter and the blue of his eyes, and taken him when the others were unaware of the danger. She'd helped him through the changes, but as time went on Karberis had become vicious and she'd had to show him just how strong she was.

"I have something for you to do, Karberis, and perhaps, if you do it, I will free you from the chains and allow you the death you crave," Layonna said. "Do you wish for death, Karberis?"

"...yes..."

"Very well, there are people in here that do not belong and they are taking something that belongs to me. I will allow you your death if you stop them from interfering and help me bring Colonel Mitchell back here," Layonna said and smiled at the thought of killing the Talosians, but she knew that would not be smart until after she had her prize. After that she would allow Karberis to kill the others before she granted him his own death. It would be fitting, since she would have Mitchell to take his place.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

Malone knew what he was doing was dangerous, but there was a creed he adhered to, one he'd learned from Colonel Jack O'Neill. 'Never leave a man behind', those were words to live by, especially on missions like these. He guided Mitchell along, ready to grab him should the rope break, and could hear the others talking to him. He knew what was happening, and glanced over his head as the colonel spoke in a voice filled with pain.

"Let go...rope break..."

"We're almost across, Colonel, just hold on a little longer."

"No...can't let...die..."

"I won't let you die, Sir..."

"Not me...you...can't let you d...die for m...me."

"That's my choice, Colonel, but right now I'm not willing to let either of us die."

"Make or...der."

"You could, but my dear ol' mama used to tell me I had selective hearing, so I guess I'm not hearing very well right now," Malone said, relieved when Jackson reached out and grabbed Mitchell. Between them they held on for dear life as the rope above them snapped and they realized just how close they'd come to losing the man.

"Th...thanks," Mitchell managed. He'd landed on his side and desperately wanted to stay where he was, yet he knew Layonna would not give up the search for him. It wasn't long before Teal'c was helping him stand and he shook his head when the bug Jaffa tried to lift him. "Walk...legs cramping."

"As you wish," Teal'c said, but remained close by his friend's side as they started moving along the tunnel.

Carter listened for any sign of pursuit and hoped Shanisia and the others had been able to stop Layonna, but something told her the woman wasn't that easy to get rid of. She nodded to Jackson that she was all right and fell into step beside him. The changes in Cameron Mitchell scared her, but she kept it from showing and silently hoped Carolyn would be able to help him.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Layonna caressed the creature before she released it from its chains and watched as it unfolded it's segmented body. The changes had been hard on Karberis, but it had made him more beautiful in her eyes. She was sure the same thing would happen with Mitchell, but she would not allow him to be vicious. She would make sure she controlled him once she took him away from his friends. Perhaps, she would have him kill Samantha Carter instead of letting Karberis do it. That would be true justice for her.

"Now, Karberis, you know the path across the realm and you must stop them before they reach the other side. I will be with you and if they escape you will find yourself back here and I assure you the consequences will be deadly. Do you understand?"

"Yes," the creature answered, teeth bared as he fought to keep from looking into her eyes.

"Very well...if you do as I say you will be allowed your peace."

"I can go home?"

"No, that is not possible. The changes to your body have already made you into something unrecognizable to your people. They would not understand what happened and would probably burn you alive and if I remember your people properly I believe they would serve you for the evening repast. Do not fear, Karberis, you will be given the burial you deserve."

"I want to be left alone."

"You will be as soon as this is done and Mitchell takes your place. So sharpen your fangs and you claws and let's go feast on the intruders," Layonna said and stroked the creature's soft underbelly.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Ryan Thomas worked alongside the Two Talosians who'd volunteered to help him. They were a married couple who'd worked with the people from the other side. The division between the two factions seemed to have been forgotten since being taken to the other realm. He'd found several references to the war between the two factions, and found that the stronger the hostility, the closer they were to the crossover. That's what he was callin it anyway, and until someone said differently, that's how he would refer to it.

"Excuse me, Sargeant Thomas," the female whose name he could barely pronounce called.

"Did you find something?" Thomas asked.

"I'm not sure, but this section is...or should I say was protected. It opened when I reprogrammed it and I believe it has to do with the war and why it continues...continued after all these years."

"Okay, so what does it say and does it make sense?" Thomas asked.

"It says that the war was started to keep us from growing strong and defeating creatures like Layonna. They crossed into our realm and took everyone who could see them. Those people never returned and if what I'm reading is correct those people became the serpents we've seen. There came a time when Layonna's people decided what they were doing was wrong, and so there were longer periods of peace. Eventually the fighting started again and I believe it was done so that we could see those creatures."

"I don't understand how that would happen?"

"We are different from you, Sargeant Thomas," Donitalio, the large male answered. "Our bodies secrete a substance when we are afraid. The more fear we feel, the more of this substance we secrete. This allows our minds to be open to the things we would not normally see. I believe this was the original reason for the fighting between my people."

"I hate when others take advantage...your people were forced to fight for someone else' gain and that just isn't right," Thomas said.

"I agree, but we did not know how to stop it even though we knew the fighting was wrong," Donitalio answered.

"Well, if we can get the others back maybe we can find a way to shut down the path between the realms.," Thomas told them.

"I hope we can...my people are slowly disappearing," Donitalio said. "I have been checking the past entries and it seems there are fewer Talosians after each attack from the other side. If it is allowed to continue my people will completely disappear with in three centuries."

"We won't let that happen," Thomas vowed.

"If you cannot shut this down there is no way to stop it," the female said.

"Then we'll find a suitable planet an relocate all of you," Thomas said.

"But this is our home."

"I understand that, but if there is no other way."

"Then we would leave," Donitalio told his wife. "Marisiana is with child and I do not want the baby brought up in a world where he or she is afraid. I wish there was a way to talk with the creatures. We could possibly change how they see us."

"When Colonel Carter and the others get back we'll figure this out," Thomas told them.

"I hope so...I do not wish to leave my world," Marisiana told him and held her hand against her stomach.

"I understand how you feel...I know I'd hate never seeing Earth again," Thomas answered and began working to unlock the other files as the Talosians worked on the other console.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Mitchell could feel the others surrounding him, but there was something new that only he could hear. The sound was high-pitched, but it seemed as if no one else was aware of it. The loud pinging hurt his ears and sent shock-waves of pan through his skull. He dropped to his knees and cried out as Carter knelt beside him.

"Cam, what's wrong?" Carter asked worriedly.

"S...something's com...coming...need to go...leave me..."

"No way in hell, Colonel," Malone snapped and readied his P90 as the sound finally reached human ears. It was unlike anything he ever heard and seemed to be carried on a strong wind that brought stinging nettles along with it.

"Sam...please...go..."

"Colonel, I'll hold off whatever this is as long as I can. Get Colonel Mitchell out of here," Malone said

"Sargeant, you won't be able to hold it off on your own," Carter said.

"I will stay with Sargeant Malone," Teal'c said.

"No...leave me t...the gun and go!" Mitchell ordered, but he knew they were not listening to him as Carter and Jackson helped him to his feet. Tucker moved to take point as the team split up.

"We'll be right behind you!" Malone assured them as the wind picked up and the howling became painful.

"Sam..."

"Stop talking and move, Mitchell!" Jackson ordered and ignored the heated glare turned in his direction before they moved toward what they hoped would be freedom from Layonna.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

"It is not far now, Karberis. I can feel him," Layonna said and smiled when she felt the creature shudder beneath her touch. There was no doubt in her mind that it would kill Mitchell's friends and once that happened she would have what she wanted.

Karberis easily flew over the opening in the ground and landed on the opposite side. He tucked his wings beneath it's segmented body and hissed at the smell surrounding him. The others were close by, and he felt Layonna touch his head before moving forward. He needed to please her, needed the freedom this final act would bring him. To die now, would mean the end of the suffering he'd lived with for too long. If the cost of his freedom meant he had to kill, then kill he would.

"Do you sense them as I do, Karberis?"

"They are close," the creature answered.

"We must act now before they escape into the other realm," Layonna warned. "Kill them all, but leave Mitchell for me."

"I will do as you say," Karberis told her and began moving along the tunnel. It's claws and wings combined to push back the walls a if displacing the stone while making sure the ceiling would not collapse down on them.

Layonna knew danger lay ahead of them and stayed behind Karberis, using his segmented body as protection in case the humans opened fire on them. She knew they would not give Mitchell up easily, but as long as Karberis did as she ordered, she would have him before the end of the day.

"Stay back or we'll open fire!"

"Leave now and I will allow you to live!| Layonna said.

"Go back and we might just do the same for you!"

"That is funny, but right now I am not in the mood for humor. Leave Mitchell or die...it is as simple as that!"

"Lady, we don't take kindly to threats!"

"It wasn't a threat...it was a fact. Colonel Carter, if you can hear me then you would be well advised to do as I say," Layonna said, but wasn't surprised when there was no answer from the woman. "This is my final warning, Colonel Carter...leave Mitchell or you all die."

**SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Malone held his P90 while Teal'c levelled the Zat weapon at the area where the voice came from, but so far there was nothing for them to shoot at. He listened carefully for any sign that Layonna was moving forward, but even the wind had died down.

"Very well, I will take your silence to mean you do not believe me. Your deaths are on your heads...Karberis, kill them."

Malone stayed hidden in the small recess he'd found and shuddered when the air around him felt heated and the screeching sound he'd first heard echoed off the stone walls. He opened fire as the creature seemed to shift in and out of focus even as Teal'c shot it with the Zat. There was no way they could have missed at this distance, yer it seemed unharmed as it moved. Malone swore he could hear it tearing at the stone walls and knew there was no way they could kill it short of bringing the whole tunnel down on it.

"Shoot at the rocks above it!" Teal'c ordered and started firing even as the creature bared it's fangs and flame shot from its mouth. He shifted his feet and tried to stay behind the rock face as rocks fell from above his head. He fired the Zat at the creature, but it didn't seem to be fazed by it and he knew they needed to retreat before the serpent reached their position.

"Teal'c we need to get moving," Malone called.

"Indeed," the Jaffa answered and fired again.

"Move out...I'll cover you!" Malone ordered and fired several rounds into the approaching creature. "Go, Teal'c, I'll be right behind you!"

The Jaffa nodded and moved out of his hiding place as Malone laid down cover fire. He hurried after the others and could hear the screeching sound of the serpent's wings as the shattered the walls of the tunnel. He glanced over his shoulder, listening for Malone, but there was no sign that the man was following him.

Malone fired at the creature until he was sure Teal'c had reached the safety of the bend in the tunnel. Taking a deep breath, he fired several rounds and exited the recess just before the creature reached him. He fired over his left shoulder and heard Layonna speak what must be the serpent's name.

"Kill him, Karberis, or you will never know peace!"

Malone knew he had to hurry or the creature would be upon him. He thought he heard Teal'c up ahead, but could not acknowledge the Jaffa's warning as fire spread along his back. It burned, searing his clothes to his skin as a taloned appendage reached for him and dragged him backward. His shoulder was numb, his arm useless, and his upper body trembled as the creature sank its teeth deep in his throat. He knew he was dying and raised his weapon until it was level with the serpent's eye. He fired several rounds and heard his own dying scream echoed by the very thing that was taking his life.

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

Shanisia knew Layonna had not given up. She may have left the area, but she was no longer true to her kind. Bariasta and the others could do nothing because they could not cross between the realms as Layonna could. She had changed through the decades and as time passed she'd become an outcast amongst her own kind.

"Shanisia, if you go after her now you could die," Bariasta said.

"If we do not stop her she will return."

"If she gets what she wants she may leave. It is worth one man's life to live in peace," another said.

"Colonel Mitchell does not deserve what has happened to him. He is not even a Talosian," Shanisia told him.

"All the more reason we should not interfere," Barista told her.

"I thought you wanted to stop Layonna and the harvesting," Shanisia said and realized there were only two others standing with her.

"We do, Shanisia, but we have grown old and weak since the last harvest. The changes made to your people would help make us strong, but that does not happen anymore. I am not asking that your kind should accept what we have done to you in the past, but you must understand that we are not as strong as we once were. To stop Layonna you must harness the gift of the Chagris and perhaps you will also find the way to help Colonel Mitchell and your people."

"We will find a way to defeat her, Bariasta, even if it means our deaths are on your hands," Shanisia said and turned away. She turned away from the creatures and spread her wings wide before taking flight. She could feel two others do the same and hoped they could defeat Layonna and free her people from the curse they'd lived with all their lives.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1**

Carolyn Lam looked at the people who seemed to be lost on their own world. Most looked like they'd been put through hell, and the truth was, they probably felt that way. The ones she'd spoken to had family in the other realm and felt sorry for what they'd been put through. She turned back to the entrance to the building and debated whether or not to check with Ryan Thomas, but she didn't want to interrupt if he was in the middle of something.

"Dr. Lam, would you like something to eat?" Janolia asked tiredly.

"Thank you," Lam said and took the plate of food.

"You are welcome," Janolia said and sat down across from her. "Do you believe they will return from the other realm?"

"Colonel Carter and the others will bring them back, Janolia. I've seen them do the impossible many times and believe me there have been a lot of missions categorized as impossible. SG1 helped defeat Goa'uld and the Ori and they're not done yet," Carolyn explained. "We just need to have faith."

"I do not understand this faith you speak of, but if you mean we should believe they will return I will do my best to have it," Janolia vowed sadly. "When Darishik was young he would sit beside me and listen to Shanisia talk about the stars. She would tell him that someday she would fly amongst them. I had heard the legends of the great serpents and I was fearful that someday she might get her wish. I do not want to lose them, Dr. Lam, but I fear what will happen should they return to our realm."

"Believe in the love you have for them and they will return. Colonel Carter and the others will find a way to bring them home."

"You sound so sure."

"That's because I am. As I said they have proven to be far stronger than our enemies and they will not back down from creatures like Layonna. They will fight for what is right…they always have," Carolyn told her and realized many of the other Talosians in earshot were listening to what she had to say. It angered her that beings like Layonna could cause so much pain and not give a damn who they hurt in the process.

"Dr. Lam, can I see you for a minute?" Ryan Thomas called from the nearby building.

"Excuse me, Janolia, I'll be right back," Lam said and hurried toward the structure. "Did you find something, Sergeant?"

"Donitalio and Marisiana found an old program that explains why the two factions of their culture fought and why over the last few centuries there seems to be less and less of it. Layonna's people were extremely violent and when they needed the Talosians in their realm they would make sure the fighting was at its worse. The Talosians secrete some kind of neuro- toxin not unlike what we call adrenaline, but in this case it allows them to see the creatures from the other realm."

"Adrenaline is not exactly a toxin, Sergeant."

"I know that, Doc, but it's the only way I could thin to explain this. If we were able to block this toxin it could make it impossible for Layonna and her kind to cause the Talosians to fight. They wouldn't be able to see the serpents and that would essentially take away the cause of the fighting," Thomas explained.

"We can check into that after we get the others back," Lam told him. "Were you able to find anything that can help us reverse the changes that have already taken place?"

"Not yet, but we're still working on it."

"Good, because getting them back is only part of the solution," Lam said.

"I know, Doc, but I wanted to keep you up to date on our progress," Thomas explained.

"Thank you…I appreciate that," Lam assured him.

"I need to get back to it. If you need me you know where I'll be," Thomas told her.

"I do," Lam said and went back to the others. She quickly explained what the trio had found so far and that there was still no sign of the missing people. She moved to check on the injured Talosians, although injured was not really the right word. The results of the blood work she'd requested should be back the next day and hopefully she would have some answers as to how to help these people.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Karberis knew what he'd done was wrong, but the promised freedom controlled his emotions. There was very little left of the man he once was, and deep down he wanted to fight her, but he was weak. He wanted, and craved release from the servitude he was trapped in, but wasn't sure he could trust Layonna.

Layonna looked at the now unrecognizable body whose skin was shredded and torn and felt the power of his death flow through her veins. She reached out and touched Karberis' head and smiled when he trembled and tried to pull away. "You have done well so far, My Pet, but there is more for you to do before I release you."

Karberis shied away from her touch, but it did no good as she used her elongated fingers to grab onto his rippling flesh. There was only one way for him to be free of her hated touch, and nothing he could do would change that.

"Come, My Pet, if you finish this for me you can have your fill of their blood," Layonna told him.

Karberis stepped over what was left of the body that had once been a man and continued along the tunnel. With each step his clawed feet scraped against the stone floor while his wings cut through the walls and widened the cavern. There were times when his own humanity came through, but those times were few and far between. He was nothing, but a monster now, one that killed for his own good and that made him just as bad as Layonna. This was who…no this was what he was now and there was no going back.

Layonna watched as the creature's head came up and knew he'd caught the scent of the humans racing ahead of them. She could smell the fear and helplessness and her body began to change in anticipation of what was to come. She would kill Carter and Jackson herself, and enjoy watching Mitchell's face when he realized his fate was sealed. His life would be hers to do with as she wished and the smell of blood goaded her on.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1**

Teal'c knew Malone was dead and could sense the creature closing the distance between them as he reached the others. He motioned for them to keep going, and replaced Carter at Mitchell's side. He knew she could handle herself and he could take more of Mitchell's weight as they tried to escape the creatures following them.

"Malone?" Mitchell managed.

"He did not make it," Teal'c answered.

"Damn it…leave me!" Mitchell ordered.

"Been through that already…no!" Jackson said and continued along the tunnel.

"Colonel Carter, I think we're getting close to the other side," Tucker called.

"Keep moving!" Carter ordered and fired when she saw movement behind them. She heard a sound that grated on her nerves, but kept moving as Tucker joined her and fired at the creatures following them. "Daniel, you and Teal'c get him out of here!"

"No…they need…need to help you stop Layonna," Mitchell ordered, not surprised when they ignored him and kept moving.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Ryan Thomas wasn't surprised at the skills of the two Talosians. Donitalio and Marisiana worked quickly and efficiently as they tore down wall after wall of computer codes. They uncovered several documents written in an ancient language, but neither one could read or understand it.

"Is there anyone who can translate this for us?" Thomas asked.

"I am not sure. There were several people, but they were all taken during the last harvest and I did not see them amongst those that have returned," Marisiana answered.

"Could you ask your people if they can help?" Thomas asked.

"I will do it. Marisiana is much better at this than I am," Donitalio said and kissed the woman. "I will return shortly."

Maybe we can figure out some of this," the SG1 officer suggested.

"There are some symbols that are familiar to me, Sergeant Thomas, but I cannot translate it correctly," Marisiana told him.

"Hopefully there's someone who can help," Thomas said and turned his attention back to the console. He stopped when he heard movement from down the tunnel and heard the Talosian gasp.

"They're coming back!" Marisiana told him.

"Hold on a minute, Marisiana, we don't know who it is and…"

"But, they may need our help!"

"I know, and if it's our people then we'll help them," Thomas vowed, surprised when more than a dozen Talosians rushed through the opening.

"Marisiana, where are the soldiers from earth?" a male asked.

"They are here, Darishik," the woman answered.

"My name is Ryan Thomas…can you tell me where my people are?"

"They're behind us. We got separated when Layonna came for Colonel Mitchell! Colonel Carter told us to go for help," Darishik told him. "You need to get your people and help them. Layonna has something with her and it will tear them apart if she doesn't get what she wants."

"Marisiana, take your people outside and tell Dr. Lam what's happening. Tell her I need help in here," Thomas ordered as shots were fired further down the tunnel. He wanted to help, but he had no idea what he'd be dealing with and knew he had to wait for reinforcements. He reached for his P90 and aimed it toward the darkened corridor while the Talosians hurried outside.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carter knew they had to keep moving, but if the others were as exhausted as she was they wouldn't be able to keep up the frantic pace much longer. Mitchell seemed to be losing the use of his legs and she could see that Teal'c and Jackson were taking more and more of his weight. She heard the creature behind her and fired into the darkness.

"Colonel, the opening isn't far now," Tucker said.

"Thank God," Carter said and fired again when she saw the creature's crimson eyes. This time she didn't miss and heard a sound that sent chills down her spine. She heard the sound of Tucker's P90 on her left and kept backing up in an effort to stay between Layonna and Mitchell.

"Leave him and I will let you all live!" Layonna ordered.

"Go to hell!" Carter shot back and aimed toward the sound of the voice. She didn't think she hit anything, but when she glanced over her shoulder she realized Teal'c and Jackson had already carried Mitchell out of the tunnel.

"Colonel, go, I'll cover you!" Tucker said and fired several rounds as the SG1 colonel hurried toward the exit.

"Come on, Major!" Carter said and laid down cover fire for the man, relieved when Ryan Thomas also joined her on the opposite side. "Can you shut down the tunnel?"

"We haven't got that far!" Thomas answered as Tucker joined them.

"Why don't we just bring the whole thing down on top of her?" Tucker asked and pointed to the weakest points further down the tunnel. They fired several times, but the tunnel walls and ceiling proved to be stronger than they thought.

"Colonel, if you and Thomas can hold them off I might be able to set a couple of C4 charges," Tucker told her, and saw her nod before she fired toward the creature that seemed to take up every inch of space in the corridor.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carolyn Lam looked up at the sound of gunfire and looked at the Talosians when some of them cried out. Donitalio had come out asking for anyone who might be able to translate the symbols, but there didn't seem to be anyone who could help. She hurried toward the building just as a large group of terrified Talosians exited through the main entrance.

"Dr. Lam, Major Tucker needs help!" Marisiana called as she guided two people toward them.

"Darishik!"

"Mother!" the young Talosian male called and hurried toward her.

"Where is Shanisia?"

"She wants to stay in the other realm, Mother. You should have seen her face Layonna! You would have been proud of her!" Darishik said as the others gathered round and recounted the story of his sister's heroism.

Carolyn wanted to listen, but right now she needed to get word to the other SG teams and send them inside. She spotted Major Ken Wallace speaking with Lieutenant Myra Hollander and hurried toward them as they gathered their teams.

"Doc, stay out!" Wallace ordered.

"They may need medical attention," Lam said.

"Then we'll send them out to you!" Hollander said and motioned for the rest of her team to follow Wallace into the building as more gunfire reached their ears.

Carolyn knew there was nothing she could do inside, but her eyes grew wide when she spotted the trio exiting the building and hurried toward them. Teal'c and Jackson were all, but carrying Mitchell between them and she hid the surprise at just barely recognizing the SG1 colonel. "Bring him over here!"

Teal'c and Jackson did as she said and eased the man onto the blankets spread on the ground. They took one last look at him before hurrying back into the building to help the others.

"Colonel, I need to take a look at you," Lam said and wished she knew what she was doing. The problem was she didn't know what the physical changes were doing to his vital organs and needed to figure that out pretty fast if she was going to reverse the effects.

"Doc…"

"I'm here, Colonel, just stay put while I get the things I need," the doctor ordered and hurried to grab the equipment she would need.

"Dr. Lam, this is Resandie. He is a very well-known scientist in my city. He says he may be able to help…he was also a surgeon at the main hospital," Janolia said of the older man standing beside her.

"I could use all the help I can get," Lam said and shook the man's hand before returning her attention to the colonel. "Resandie, would you see if you can find a vein in his arm and take some blood samples for me?"

"Certainly," the Talosian said and reached for the items he would need.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carter fired at the creature as she backed away from Layonna who was now standing to the serpent's right side. Teal'c and Jackson were also fighting to bring down the structure, but it was a lot stronger than it appeared and the ceiling remained intact. She briefly wondered if it was because of Layonna, but had no chance to debate the issue as a scream burst from the form rushing toward her.

"Sam! Watch out!" Jackson yelled.


	13. Chapter 13

Layonna smiled as Karberis charged the humans and felt as if victory was close at hand. There was nothing left of the once human form as the creature's body undulated as it battered the walls and raced toward its target. There was no doubt in her mind that it would kill these people and then she simply had to take back what was hers.

Cameron Mitchell was well underway to becoming a serpent and would soon find breathing difficult as his internal organs changed to suit the body he now had. He could survive here, but not for long periods of time because the pure oxygen would aggravate the inner ling of his lungs. The air in this realm would become toxic and he would die if he spent too much time here.

"Blow it now, Tucker!"

Layonna heard the female voice and realized what was happening just before the area around Karberis exploded in a massive blast or rock, fire, and other debris. The effects of the explosion reached her and she cried out as something struck her in the back and she grabbed at the wall as the ground shook beneath her feet.

Layonna heard a scream from Karberis, one she hadn't heard since she'd changed him and watched as the creature's body undulated and splint into segments. Blood and internal organs were exposed to the air and the putrid smell of decay reached her as the sickening crescendo of falling rocks subsided. She stood where she was, anger and outrage seizing control as she felt everything slipping away.

"You cannot take him away from me!"

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carter heard the wail as the rocks and debris fell amidst the debris cluttering the floor. Dust billowed up as the tunnel collapsed behind them, burying part of the creature that had followed them through to this realm. She had no idea whether Layonna was buried behind it, or if the woman had managed to escape unscathed. She was a vindictive woman by nature, but she hoped the Layonna was taken care of, because she was as dangerous in the other realm as she was here.

"I think we stopped it!" Tucker said when the dust cloud stopped and they could see part of the creature. The eyes were open, but there was none of the light they'd seen when it first charged them.

Carter moved forward and reached out to touch it, cringing when she thought of the many horror movies she'd seen. The ones where someone said the monster was dead only to have it launch one final, fatal attack on the unsuspecting victims. She used the end of her wea-0n to prod the creature, but there was no sign that it was alive.

"Colonel, is it…"

"It's dead, Major, but leave a couple of people here to watch it until we can make sure. Send for me if there's any sign of movement," Carter ordered and turned to Jackson. "Thanks for the warning, Daniel."

"You're welcome…Carolyn and a Talosian are working on Mitchell."

"How is he?"

"He's in rough shape, Sam, but if anyone can find a way to reverse the effects it's her," Jackson observed and walked alongside Carter as they exited the building. They hurried across to where Lam and the Talosian had Mitchell lying on his side and Sam got her first look at the bony protuberances that looked like grotesque wings.

"Carolyn, how is he?" Carter asked.

"I wish I knew, Sam, but until I can get some x-rays and scans I won't be able to do much," Lam told her.

"Why don't we take him back through the gate?" Jackson asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea right now," Lam answered. We have no idea what travel through the gate would do to him and he's already showing signs of distress. His breathing is growing worse and I don't even know if I should intubate."

"Dr. Lam, there's a fully functional hospital within walking distance," Resandie told her. "I have worked out of there on several occasions and we would be able to check Colonel Mitchell and find out the full extent of the changes."

"All right…let's move him," Lam said, relieved that medical advice could be within walking distance. "Teal'c, you and Daniel take the stretcher and we have to move him carefully."

"Janolia, please supervise the others and have them bring the injured to the hospital," Resandie ordered and moved to walk alongside the physician. "There are plenty of medical supplies there and we can use the solutions for Colonel Mitchell and the others. I believe you refer to it as intravenous solution and pain management medications."

"I read the reports by the people who visited your world before, and I know everything is compatible with what we use on Earth," Lam told him and kept checking Mitchell as they moved carefully through the Talosians.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Layonna cursed as she climbed unsteadily to her feet. The darkness was broken by the natural stones that lined the cavern walls. She knew they'd been near the end of the tunnel, but could not be sure if they'd completely crossed between the realms. If Mitchell was on the other side, then that was where she needed to be. He belonged to her now, no matter what his people or the Talosians thought.

Layonna looked at the remains of the creature whose body was nearly completely covered by the debris and turned away in disgust. It would not be long before it completely disintegrated and returned to the humanoid form it once held. She knew she had to go back through the tunnel and use another exit into Talosia. It would mean a delay in taking Mitchell back, but she would have him before the day ended.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1**

Shanisia flew high overhead while her two companions did the same from a lower altitude. The dead forest surrounding the area seemed to defy description and went on forever. Her eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the undergrowth as she fought to see through the grotesque shapes. Since the changes to her body neared completion, her eyesight had improved to the point where she could see the insects eating the carcass of a creature several hundred feet below her.

Shanisia swung toward the south, her wings spread wide, and her body perfectly straight as she soared toward the opening in the side of the mountain that boarded the clearing to the south. She knew Layonna was ahead of her, but she could not stop trying to find her way through to the other realm. She had to do what she could to stop Layonna from hurting anyone else, but to do that, she needed to find her way through.

She heard her companions and understood what they were telling her through a series of clicks and beeps. She stretched her neck out, turning her head at an unnatural angle until she could see what they were telling her. She spotted Layonna in the distance and flew toward her, intent on taking care of the problem, with the help of her fellow serpents.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1**

Carolyn Lam helped transfer Mitchel to the bed and made sure he was lying on his side. The bony protuberances in his back were beginning to disfigure the skin and muscle around his spine. She'd heard him cry out several times during the trip to the hospital and knew there was nothing she could do for him until they had more information.

Resandie had asked several other Talosians to come with them and she was quickly introduced to them. They'd all worked in varying jobs at the hospital and she was pleased to find they had a qualified specialist who could do a complete scan of Mitchell's body. It was important to find out what was going on with his internal organs.

"Dr. Lam…"

"Resandie, please, call me Carolyn."

"Carolyn, I know you've sent blood samples back to Earth, but we have a working lab here and I believe that was Beritonis' job. Perhaps, he could identify anything that does not belong in his bloodstream."

"I can do that. My wife Sharellen was my assistant and she is helping with the other patients. I will have her come with me and we can compare the samples we take form each one," Beritonis explained.

"Thank you," Lam said and moved to collect the samples they would need from Mitchell's arm. She heard him cry out and looked into his eyes as he tried to relieve some of the pain raging inside him. She brushed her fingers against his bare skin and felt the scales that were beginning to form.

"Doc…"

"I'm here, Colonel."

"Feel like…like I'm on f…fire," Mitchell managed.

"His temperature is 103," Resandie told her.

Carolyn took a stethoscope and listened to his lungs. She didn't like what she heard, and looked up at the monitors Resandie had hooked up while she was listening to his breathing. The numbers showed an increase in his heart rate, and a low oxygen level to go along with the elevated temperature. She didn't know what it was a sign of, but she did know it wasn't anything good.

"We may need to hook him up to a ventilator," Lam said and saw the frown on the Talosian's face. "We put a tube down his throat and hook him up to a machine that helps him breathe."

"Oh, yes, we have one of those here," Resandie said and brought a cart closer to the bed. "How do you know doing that will not cause more damage?"

"I don't. That's why I don't want to do it unless there's no choice. For now the best we can do is the scans and blood work. Hopefully we'll get some answers before…"

"God," Mitchell cried out as the sickening sounds of bones reshaping made him shift on the bed.

"Easy, Colonel…"

"Can't…it…God, Doc, it hurts," Mitchell managed.

"Resandie, where are your medications kept?" Lam asked worriedly.

"In a locked cabinet behind the main desk," the Talosian answered.

"Can I see what you have?"

"Of course," Resandie said and led the way out of the room.

"Daniel, Teal'c stay with him and make sure he doesn't go anywhere," Lam ordered. She followed the other man to the main desk and waited for him to unlock the door. She opened it and gazed at the unfamiliar names.

"What are you looking for, Carolyn?" Resandie asked her.

"We have several medications we use to manage pain," Lam answered.

"The pain medications are on this shelf. The strongest are on the left side and the syringes used to measure them are on the drawer beneath the cabinet," Resandie told her. "For someone Colonel Mitchell's size I would give him 10ccs of Lowarapallin. It will ease the pain and help him sleep."

"Sleep is probably the best thing for him. It would also help make the scan easier to do," Lam told him and nodded when the man took a syringe from the drawer. Once it was filled, she took it and hurried back into the room to find Jackson and Teal'c fighting to hold Mitchell down. She hurried over and grabbed a juncture in the IV line. Carolyn injected the pain medication and disposed of the sharp needle in the appropriate container.

"It should take effect pretty fast, Carolyn," Resandie explained.

Carolyn nodded and placed a calming hand on Mitchell's shoulder, relieved when the man's body relaxed and his eyes closed. She had no idea how long the drug would last, but she hoped she wouldn't have to resort to it for too long. She'd recognized the name of the drug as one of those they'd run tests on and knew it had the same effect as morphine.

"Dr. Lam, we'll be ready for Colonel Mitchell in a few minutes," Sharellen told her from the open doorway. "We would normally use a dye to give us better images, but Beritonis would rather not because of the changes to his body."

"I agree," Lam said and helped move the gurney out of the room.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Ryan Thomas knew Marisiana and Donitalio were working together to peel back the layers of notations that had been buried deep within the Talosian computer system. They'd gone back to work as soon as the creature was declared dead and with Carter's help they'd uncovered several more files dating back to the first time the realm had been discovered between the two worlds.

They now knew for certain that it was creatures like Layonna who discovered what happened when the Talosians were taken to the other realm. If Carter was right, then Layonna was one of the earliest transformations and she'd quickly taken control of the creatures that inhabited the other realm.

Marisiana had suggested that Layonna had become bitter about the changes and had been the one who instigated the creation of a new species of serpent. Over the years they would come back to this realm and take most of the inhabitants back with them. There were several notes that spoke of Talosians trying to come back, but they usually ended in death. There were pages and pages of writing that told of how the Talosian scientists had tried to help, but there were very few successes to speak of.

"Marisiana, it appears that the ones who survived coming back did so because they were able to bridge the genetics between the two forms."

"I see that, but there were still deaths even after they did that."

"I know, but that was mostly due to the strain out on the heart, lungs, and other organs. If we can find a way to ease that strain until the victim is able to fight back then we may be able to isolate the problems and help them return…if that's what they choose to do," Donitalio observed.

"I think we can isolate the genetic anomalies, but I don't know if we'll be in time to help our people and Colonel Mitchell," Marisiana offered and glanced at the woman working opposite her. "I'm sorry, Colonel Carter, I know he's a friend of yours, but it is a longshot."

"I know," Carter agreed, but continued to work at the console with Ryan Thomas.

"We can't give up," Thomas said.

"We're not giving up, but maybe if we had more people," Marisiana said.

"We can get more people," Donitalio told her. "I can find others we work with and maybe with fresh eyes we can find out if we overlooked anything."

"Sargeant, go with him and sand word to the SGC that we need people from each of the different labs including biology and chemistry. We need to find out as much as we can about the serpents," Carter said.

"If there was some way to get a sample from one of them," Marisiana said and looked toward the area where the creature's body was covered in debris from the tunnel collapse. They'd taken samples from the creature, but it wasn't like the serpents her people had become.

"Maybe we could dig through there and go back," Thomas offered.

"We'll need more SG teams to do that and right now I'm not sure it's a good idea. Cam wouldn't want us putting anyone else in danger, but…"

"What are you thinking, Colonel?" Thomas asked.

"If we could get through we'd be able to find out much more about the passage between the realms…"

"Colonel, I found several notations on the passageway," Marisiana said and watched as Thomas and Donitalio left to find others who might be able to help them. "Most of those say that once the Talosians have crossed over the passage closes up and there is no way across."

"That's why there are so many years between each culling…"

"Culling?" Marisiana asked.

"It means they take as many as they can and leave only enough people to repopulate until they are able to come back. It's a term used when talking about the Wraith," Carter answered and saw the confusion in her eyes. "You are safe from the Wraith, but we need to find a way to make this stop."

"I thought Darishik said it was over. They could choose to return here," Marisiana observed.

"I know, but what if there are more creatures like Layonna? If she is strong enough to do all of this then imagine what four or five or even a dozen like her could do. I think it is best to close it off until your people find a way to stop Layonna's kind from taking people against their will," Carter explained.

"Is that even possible?" Marisiana asked.

"Anything is possible if you believe in it strong enough," Carter told her. She wanted to find out what was happening with Mitchell, but right now he needed her to stay focused on the task at hand. They had to find a way to reverse the changes, before it was too late for him.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Layonna could sense the creatures following her and knew instinctively who they were. From the beginning the Talosians who were changed sent out a signal that told of their presence. They were easier to keep track of when that happened and it had been bred into them since the dawn of time in her realm.

Mitchell was different; there was no doubt about that. He'd been fighting the changes from the beginning. Even when he'd passed the point of no return, he'd continued to fight as if his life meant something. Why couldn't he see what she offered and embrace the changes that were already happening. He would be so much better, so much stronger, and he could rule at her side until she grew tired of him.

Layonna knew many ways through the passage, but she'd kept them secret because it was against the laws of her people. She laughed at those words, because in spite of having been born here, she wasn't a part of this world or the Talosian world. It was something she'd discovered early in her life, but kept it to herself until she was strong enough to use her mind and powers against those around her.

Layonna knew if she kept ahead of Shanisia and the others, they would be forced to follow her to Talosia where they would be weakened. She could defeat them now, but she wanted to prove to the Talosians and Colonel Mitchell that they were helpless against her. She heard a series of clicks and beeps and understood what was being said. There were three of them following her, but that didn't mean anything, she would allow them to follow her at a distance until they made it through the passage. They would die as a reminder of her power and the Talosians would readily give up Cameron Mitchell to save themselves.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Janolia looked at her son, relieved that he was back with her, but she missed Shanisia so much her heart ached. They'd been helping transfer the injured to the hospital and were shocked to find many Talosians who'd hidden in separate buildings since the passage had opened between the realms. There were many who'd sought safety from both her city and the city they'd been at war with. They'd stopped their fighting in order to stay safe and Janolia hoped that when this was all over the need for fighting would also have ended.

"Mother, are you all right?"

"I am fine, Darishik, I simply miss your sister."

"She was well when last I saw her. Shanisia chose to stay and embrace the changes and we must respect that. I will miss her, but I am proud of her," Darishik said.

"Proud of her?"

"My sister always seemed weak to me, but she has proven that she is far stronger than I could ever dream of being. She embraced the changes in spite of what it meant. I chose to come back because this is the world I know, but Shanisia chose to go with the changes and that is something you should accept, Mother."

"I do accept her choice, Darishik, but I will miss her."

"Perhaps Colonel Carter's people can find a way for her and the others to come back and live on Talosia. If they can then we could have Shanisia and she would still be allowed her choice to remain a serpent."

"If only that were true…if only they could live here with us."

"They may be able to do that, Mother, after all this is where they belong and no matter what the changes there must be a way for all of us to live in harmony," Darishik offered.

"I hope you are right, My Son," Janolia said and turned to help a young woman with her child.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Samantha Carter looked up as Carolyn Lam exited the room where they'd placed Mitchell after the latest round of tests. She knew by the look on the doctor's face that the news wasn't good, but she needed to hear it for herself. "How is he, Carolyn?"

"Not good, Sam," Lam told her and sat down tiredly. "His temperature keeps going up. We're treating him with the equivalent of our Tylenol, but it's only slowing it down. I've run every kind of test I can think of and even did some Resandie and Beritonis suggested, but so far all we know is that his body is re-shaping itself."

"Why is it so hard on him?" Carter asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen what happens to the Talosians that change and even those who fought it. None of them are in as much pain as Cam, nor did the changes seem so hard on them," Carter observed.

"I did notice that, and I think the problem lies in his physiology. We share a lot with the Talosians, but there are differences, and although they are subtle, they could be what's causing the trouble."

"Then we need to isolate the differences and find out how to make them work for Cam," Carter suggested as Teal'c and Jackson joined them. Both men carried large cups of coffee and handed one to each of the women. Sam listened as Lam quickly updated the duo with the same information she'd just shared with her.

"Okay, so if we isolate the differences is there any way to counteract the effects the changes are having on Mitchell?" Jackson asked.

"Maybe, it's a long shot, but right now it might be the only chance he has," Carolyn told them and stood up. "I need to speak with Resandie and see if this facility has the capability to do the tests we'll need."

"I'll go back and keep working with Marisiana and Donitalio. Maybe we missed something in the files or maybe they've found something else," Carter said.

"Sam, maybe I can help," Jackson suggested.

"Thanks, Daniel, we can use all the help we can get," Carter told him.

"I will stay with Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c told them and nodded when Carolyn pointed to the room where Mitchell rested. He stepped inside to find a Talosian and one of Carolyn Lam's nurses caring for his friend. Mitchell lay on his right side, his head elevated on several pillows, while the rest of his body seemed to be covered in sheets that formed a tent.

Teal'c had made many friends during his time at the SGC, but there were just a few that he considered above friendship. Master Bra'tac had once told him to choose his friends wisely because they would be the brothers who stood at his side instead of behind him. It had taken some time, but Cameron Mitchell had proven he could be a powerful warrior and that alone made him a valuable ally.

There were a lot of changes that he could see, but he knew Mitchell was still the same man inside. It was simply a matter of finding a way to reverse the effects forced upon his body and mind. He knew Colonel Carter and Dr. Lam would use all resources to return him to his physical form, and hoped there was no damage to his mind.

"You will not change into a serpent, Colonel Mitchell. You will continue to fight whatever is happening to you and when Colonel Carter and Dr. Lam find a solution you will laugh at what could have happened."

"Te…Teal'c…that you?"

"I thought you were sleeping, Colonel Mitchell."

"Can't sleep…feel like I'm burning up," Mitchell told him and forced his eyes open. There was nothing but a blurry shape where the Jaffa's voice came from and Cam did everything he could to focus on the man.

"Dr. Lam said your temperature is higher than she would like, but I believe you are strong enough to fight back. You are not a quitter, Cameron Mitchell. Even Master Bra'tac has seen past your sense of humor and sees the warrior soul hidden inside you. I do not believe he is wrong in that belief," Teal'c said.

"Thanks, Teal'c," Mitchell managed and grabbed the rail as his body shook with tremors so violent it made the bed shake. He felt Teal'c's hand on his shoulder and drew comfort from the simple gesture. He knew he could not take much more, but vowed to fight for the people he cared about, and for those who cared about him.

"Rest, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said when he felt the man go still beneath his touch. He hoped the others could find a way to reverse this before it was too late. He pulled a chair closer and sat down, but he didn't move his hand from the sleeping man's shoulder. It was a token of comfort, one meant for both of them, because he was not ready to lose this man…this brother.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Samantha Carter looked up from the console in time to see Daniel Jackson pour another strong cup of the Talosian version of coffee. It was close to espresso than coffee, and right now she knew she needed one just as badly as he did. She nodded when Daniel motioned with the pot and took the cup. Donitalio and Marisiana had fallen asleep on a cot in the corner, but not until they'd been forced to because they were dangerously exhausted.

Carter and Jackson walked outside and looked up at the sky. The stars shone brightly, the moon not yet in full view as birds and insects added to the night noises. The two remained silent for several minutes until Carter spoke softly.

"Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we hadn't discovered the Stargate?"

"Sometimes, but it's a moot point since we're way past the discovery and what it means to us as a race," Jackson told her.

"I guess…it's just that sometimes it seems like we pay a high price for the knowledge we've gained."

"With knowledge comes wisdom and with wisdom comes the experience we need to help others as well as ourselves."

"I know, but what happens when we find ourselves involved in disputes that are not of our making?" Carter asked.

"I guess it's a matter of finding a balance that works. If we can stop what's been happening to the Talosians then it's worth it."

Do we have the right to stop it?" Carter asked tiredly.

"Sam, tell me you don't agree with what's been happening here? It's not as if the Talosians agreed to crossing the realms and becoming creatures like Layonna."

"You know me better than that, Daniel. I'm not saying I agree with what's happening, but what of the serpents? Not Layonna…I don't believe she is one of them, but the Talosians who have embraced the changes should be allowed to do so."

"You mean Shanisia and the others?"

"Yes," Carter said.

"They should be given the choice. I'm pretty sure Janolia would be happy to welcome her daughter with open arms no matter what she looked like as long as she was still Shanisia."

"I think that's how most of them would feel if given the choice," Carter said and sighed tiredly as she sat on the white bench.

"We'll find a way to change him back, Sam."

"Will we, Daniel? Right now it seems like the more we try the worse things get for him," Carter observed.

"Don't tell me you're giving up on him?"

"No, I'm not giving up on him. We've got Carolyn and the Talosians working on finding a solution. You and I are working with two very gifted people in Donitalio and Marisiana and on top of that Cam is a lot like Jack…he'll never quit and neither will we," Carter said and stood up.

"Sam, we're both working on coffee, but I don't think it's going to last. We need to get some sleep and come at it with fresh eyes," Jackson told her and held up his hands when she looked like she was going to protest. "How many times have we missed something that seemed inconsequential because we were too tired to see what was right before our eyes?"

"I hate it when you're right," Carter said and followed Jackson inside. She glanced at the console, sighed tiredly, and moved to a door on the opposite side of the room. She lay down and closed her eyes, but sleep would be a long time in coming because she couldn't quite get the image of Cameron Mitchell's suffering out of her mind.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1**

Layonna exited through the narrow opening and landed on her feet in the grassy meadow. She could see the lights of the Talosian city in the distance and smiled at the thought of taking Mitchell away from them while they slept. There was no doubt in her mind that she could do just that, but she wanted to prove just how little she feared them. She would wait until morning before spreading her wings wide and land outside the main hospital.

Mitchell would be there, because it was the only place that would have the facilities the humans would need to treat the injured. Mitchell wasn't really injured, but the changes were well underway and she knew he would be in incredible pain. She didn't remember much about her own transformation, but she did recall the excruciating pain caused by the changes in body structure.

Layonna understood that Mitchell's friends would do anything to stop her, but they were no match for her. That was not a simple boast on her part; she'd had years of experience at making her own changes, working them until she was better than the others of her kind. She wasn't even sure they could be compared to her anymore; because she'd evolved into something even they could not possibly understand.

Layonna began to walk toward the city, but she knew she would eventually take flight, simply because she despised walking when flying was so much easier. Still, it would make time go faster if she walked, and she smiled at the thought of making the human's pay for defying her.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Shanisia drew a shuddering breath as she exited the tunnel and stood in the darkness of her own world. She felt her companions move to stand on either side of her and knew they would not leave her to face Layonna on her own. Their loyalty was something she was not used to, because her life on Talosia was nothing spectacular.

Shanisia knew they needed to make up ground if they were going to reach the city in time to stop Layonna, but she was not sure they could defeat the creature. She heard a series of clicks and beeps, and understood what her fellow serpents were saying. They would not lose this fight, because to do so would mean a continuation of the events that had plagued Talosia for far too long.

Shanisia hoped her people would not see them as a threat, but she knew some would fear them as had always been the case. Perhaps if she could find her mother and brother, they would be able to dispel the fears of the past and embrace what they could have in the future. She hoped that could be done without causing more harm. With a simple gesture, she spread her wings and lifted off the ground with just a small displacement of the debris on the ground.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Teal'c had spent the night watching over his friend as the nurses continued to monitor his vitals. He'd known when Mitchell woke up, felt the tension in spite of the colonel trying to hide his discomfort. How much more could one man take? He wasn't sure of the answer, but he was sure Mitchell would push past the limits of the average human male.

"Teal'c how is he?"

"I would say he is resting, but I do not believe that is possible," Teal'c answered as Carter moved to the opposite side of the bed.

"He's stronger that we give him credit for," Carter observed.

"Indeed, I believe that is why you came back to the team," Teal'c told her.

"He could be persuasive," Carter said with a hint of a smile as she remembered her first meeting with Cameron Mitchell. He wasn't a man who took no for an answer and it hadn't been long before SG1 was back together, the only difference was their leader was no longer Jack O'Neill. It hadn't taken long for her to realize Cameron Mitchell was a lot like Jack O'Neill, especially when it came to protecting his team.

"Have you found anything that will help reverse the changes?"

"Nothing yet, but that won't stop us, Teal'c, we'll find a way…"

"I doubt that very much, Colonel Carter."

Teal'c and Carter turned at the sound of the voice and cursed when they recognized the figure standing in the doorway. She looked the same as she did the first day they'd seen her, yet there was an air of danger surrounding her.

"How did you get in here?" Carter snapped and moved to stand with Teal'c to shelter Mitchell from this creature.

"You still have no idea who you are dealing with, Colonel Carter, and for now I am willing to overlook that. I have come for my property and if he leaves with me voluntarily I will leave you all to your sad little world."

"We will not let you take him!" Carter said.

"You have no choice," Layonna said and lifted her hands. She used the destructive power of her gossamer wings to throw the humans across the room and made her way to the bed. She ran her taloned fingers across the scaly skin that glistened on his back and smiled as she spoke. "Colonel Mitchell, I know you are awake, so please do not waste my time."

"What d…do you want?" Mitchell managed.

"I believe you know why I am here, Colonel Mitchell. I can make the pain stop for you so the question now is whether you come with me peacefully or do I have to kill your friends before we leave?"

"You'll let th…them go?"

"They are inconsequential to me…"

"No, Cam, you can't…"

"I have to, Sam," Mitchell said as Layonna pulled the IV line from his arm.

"We will find another way, Colonel Mitchell!" Teal'c offered and tried to stand, but there was a force pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Not without her killing one of y…you," Mitchell said and sat up, dislodging the leads that were monitoring his vital signs.

"Are you running out on us, Cam?" Carter asked.

"No, I'm sa…saving your lives."

"What about your life? Isn't any human life worth the same as another's?" Carter asked, wondering where the hell the others were.

"Sam…I'm being…"

"Selfish…and you need to stop because I don't see you as being a sacrificial lamb so the rest of us can live! You're smarter than that so fight her, damn it!"

"Colonel Carter is right! She wins if you go with her now!" Teal'c said.

Mitchell looked at them and finally settled his gaze on the creature standing before him. It would be so easy to just give in and go with her, but he would be giving up everything that made him who he was. He could not do that to them and took a deep breath as he sensed the strength coming from Teal'c and Carter.

"It is time to leave, Colonel Mitchell," Layonna said.

"I don't think so," Mitchell snapped and pulled away.

"Then you sentence them to death and once I am through with them then I will take you anyway."

"There's something you should know about us, Layonna," Mitchell said, his voice stronger than it had any right to be.

"What would that be?"

"We don't go quietly into the night…we will not vanish without a fight…" Mitchell quoted from one of his favorite movies. He reached for Layonna and cried out when she pressed her talons deep into his chest.

"Then you will watch them die before we leave!" Layonna snarled and smiled when she used her strength and lifted Teal'c and Carter off the floor. "It would have been so much easier the other way, but it is more pleasurable to make you see how frail you humans really are!"

"Go to hell!" Mitchell snarled as blood pooled around the talons embedded in his chest. He felt the life draining from his body and silently prayed someone could stop Layonna before she killed everyone he cared about.

TBC

Author's note-Sorry for the delay, but with Christmas and the New Year things sort of got away from me. Thanks to all who reviewed an put this on favorites and alerts. It means a lot to me….Winnie


	15. Chapter 15

Shanisia and her two companions flew toward the city she'd once called home and felt something drawing her toward the hospital. She allowed her wings to guide her down and smiled when she saw her mother and brother, yet she was probably unrecognizable to them. She felt sorrow deep inside, but she was here to stop a tragedy and hoped when they were finished she could speak with them before they were forced to return.

"Shanisia," Janolia called when the winged serpent glanced toward her.

"Mo…ther," Shanisia managed and smiled as the woman who'd raised and protected her wrapped her in a hug before releasing her.

"I am so proud of you, but it is not safe for you here. You must return to the other realm if you are to survive," Janolia told her.

Shanisia remember what Bariasta had told her about the Chagris and reached for it. She wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed to be an energy force deep inside her and the others. She could feel something strengthening her, making her see everything around her as if it was surrounded by a bright light that would have hurt her eyes had she still been full Talosian.

"Shanisia, can you help Colonel Mitchell and his people?" Darishik asked hopefully.

"We will try," Shanisia told him, shocked at how much easier it was to speak. "Do not let anyone inside until we have taken care of Layonna."

"Be careful, Shanisia, I do not want to lose you," Janolia told her and finally released her.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Darishik asked.

"You can stay safe…that is all I ask," Shanisia said and looked around at the people gathered nearby. Some looked fearful, while others seemed to want to be near them. She smiled inwardly and brought her wings closer to her body as she led her two companions through the main doors.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Layonna knew she could crush the life from Mitchell's friends with a simple flick of her wrist, but she enjoyed toying with them. It also proved to Mitchell just how helpless he was. She felt the warmth of his blood on her fingers and finally released her hold as she moved toward his companions. A shock ran through her body and she turned to find Daniel Jackson holding some kind of energy weapon in his hands.

"Jackson, get out of here!" Mitchell ordered, but it came too late as with a flick of her taloned fingers she tore a gouge in his right arm and flung him across the room where he lay in a crumpled heap. "Leave them alone!"

"You are the one hurting them, Colonel Mitchell. They are here because of you and I will kill them if you do not agree to come with me! Can you not see you have nothing to fight me with…"

"Perhaps he does not, but we have."

"Shanisia, I might have known you would find a way through," Layonna snarled.

"It was easy; Layonna, and now we will take you back to face Bariasta and the others. You will pay for your crimes against my people and you will release Colonel Mitchell."

"You are naïve, Shanisia. You are no match for the years I have behind me. I have learned to take what I need and unlike newly formed creatures like you I can harness a power beyond your imagination."

"You might find that you can no longer harness the power of the Chagris," Turlean told her and smiled inwardly at the hint of fear in the creature's eyes.

"What do you know of the Chagris?" Layonna asked as she pulled Mitchell closer to her.

"We know it is a power so strong that it can destroy worlds unless it is used properly," Turlean answered.

"That is why we must stop you from using it as you have. We know how to make it work…"

"Bariasta is a weak fool. He had no right to tell you of the Chagris," Layonna spat and twisted her fingers through the newly formed wings on Mitchell's back.

"He simply told us to harness its power and we have done that. We are strong, Layonna, and we will stop you," Shanisia vowed.

"But at what cost? Did Bariasta tell you that if you harness that power without proper teaching then you will not be able to cross through the realm again? You will be forced to stay here as outcasts amongst your own people. Can you really live that way?"

"If that is how it is meant to be then I will live that way, but I do not believe my people would shun us, Layonna. I believe they will embrace our changes because it was our choice. We will show them that our appearance has not changed how we feel and that our family means everything to us," Shanisia said.

"No, Shanisia, they have never embraced our kind and they never will. They will see you as a danger to them and will hunt you down and kill you. I offer you a chance to come with me and share the power of the Chagris with me."

"No, Layonna, that is not what we want. Release Colonel Mitchell and come with us now before anyone else is hurt," Shanisia told her.

"Allow me to leave with Colonel Mitchell and I will not destroy you and your family," Layonna said angrily.

"No," Turlean stated and knew the fight for the people of his world and Mitchell's friends now rested with them. He could feel Shanisia's strength and added his own to the mix as Layonna tried to keep Mitchell with her. The change in Mitchell was intense and he struggled against her touch, giving them the opening they needed to attack with their minds.

Shanisia knew the power of the Chagris was stronger in them because they had harnessed it together. It was something that could devastate worlds if used the wrong way, but they were not using it for evil as Layonna had planned. The room they were in was small, and seemed even smaller with the amount of people inside and the medical equipment that surrounded the bed.

"Colonel Mitchell, are you ready to sacrifice your friends and these people for your own humanity?" Layonna asked, but didn't wait for an answer as Teal'c and Carter got to their feet while Daniel Jackson seemed on the verge of waking up.

"No, he isn't sacrificing anyone…he's adding his strength to ours," Shanisia said. "Harness the Chagris, Colonel Mitchell, the will to do so is inside you."

Cameron Mitchell felt the weakness encumbering his limbs, yet there was something else. Something he'd felt on rare occasions, particularly when he was flying a 302 and again when he found out the members of SG1 were willing to accept him as their leader. He let his mind wander and felt the first stirrings of the power Shanisia spoke of. Whatever the Chagris was, it filled him with a sense of peace and the sense that he belonged here.

"Allow it to free your mind, Colonel Mitchell!"

He heard Shanisia's words, but she hadn't spoken them aloud. It was as if she was inside his mind, showing him how to access what was already there. A hint of a smile formed as he embraced the changes and pulled free of Layonna's grip. The wing like protuberances tingled as if an unseen force was at work and Cam knew he had to do this in order to get rid of Layonna and free the Talosians of her influence.

"Come with me, Colonel Mitchell, and I promise not to return to this realm," Layonna said, but she'd seen the change in the man and flinched at the power she saw in his eyes.

"No, Layonna, it is time to end this," Mitchell said and reached for her as Shanisia and her companions moved to form a wall that she would be unable to move.

"Then you will die with your friends," Layonna snarled as her body went through several changes. She now longer held any of the beauty she once had and it's place were grotesque features that rivaled anything Mitchell ever imagined.

Carter and Teal'c watched helplessly as Mitchell and Shanisia moved to attack Layonna. Mitchell seemed to have trouble moving, and they understood it was because of the changes that had already taken place. It didn't stop him; instead it made him work with the others. There was a scream from somewhere, but they could not tell who it was from as the fight for supremacy continued in the small room.

"Colonel Carter, we should get Daniel Jackson out of here," Teal'c said and looked from her to Mitchell before hurrying to the down man. He lifted Jackson into his arms as a shriek arose from behind him. He felt Carter brush by him and knew she was making sure they had a safe path out of the building.

"Carolyn, get everyone out of here!" Carter ordered when she saw the doctor and two Talosians in a room down the hall.

"Where's Colonel Mitchell?" Lam asked.

"He's inside…we can't help him right now," Carter snapped and grabbed a young woman's arm before leading them outside.

"What happened to Daniel?" Lam asked as Teal'c lowered him to the ground.

"Layonna attacked him," Carter answered and turned to look at the entrance as if just hoping would bring Mitchell to them.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Cam could feel himself weakening as Layonna seemed to concentrate on him while the other three moved to protect him. He could feel the Chagris working through him and understood Shanisia was allowing him to channel the strange power. He lifted his arms, protecting his upper body from a blow that would have cut a normal man in half. He wasn't a normal man anymore; he was part of the Mastyque, part of the realm Layonna came from.

The blow landed on his forearms and sent shockwaves along his changing nerve paths, but with Shanisia's help he was able to soften the blow and absorb the impact. He smiled, and wondered at the power he was feeling as Layonna tried to strike him again. He could hear her shrieking as if the anger was taking over and knew this was what he had to do to defeat her.

"I will make you pay for this, Shanisia," Layonna warned as Mitchell deflected a blow that should have decapitated the creature on his left. She knew she could not defeat them, not here in a room so small she could not expand her wings and deliver a killing blow. The window behind her offered her a means of escape, but she did not want to leave without her prize.

Shanisia stayed at Mitchell's right while Turlean was at his left. Their third companion had fallen under one of Layonna's first blows and lay unmoving in the corner. She tried to open her mind and allow him to use her senses and felt the joining of their minds. She could feel him drawing her in and the tingling sensation increased as Turlean's mind joined theirs.

Mitchell felt their strength and harnessed it in a way he could not understand. He drew his webbed fingers together and struck out, but did not connect with Layonna's physical body. He did send some kind of energy through his hands and saw the surprise on her face as she was lifted from the floor and thrown through the window.

"We must not let her escape," Turlean warned as Mitchell hurried to the window and dove through it.

Mitchell landed hard and rolled with it before coming up on his feet. It didn't matter that his body was devoid of clothing as he strode toward the creature who had caused so much suffering. He could hear voices around him, but their words made no sense to him as Shanisia and Turlean joined him in his quest to take this woman apart with his bare hands.

Layonna knew she was outnumbered, but she had never backed down from anyone or anything. She still had power, and had been harnessing the Chagris far longer than Mitchell and the others. The fact that Shanisia and Turlean were now bound to Mitchell was a complication she could not have foreseen, but she would not underestimate them again. She stood to her full height and allowed her wings to spread wide as the Talosians and humans alike gathered in the garden behind the trio standing against her.

"Give it up, Layonna! You can't win!" Mitchell spoke through tightly clenched teeth and knew he had to end this before she hurt anyone else.

"I could say the same to you, Colonel Mitchell, but since you have already denied me I will not feel any remorse when I take your life and feed on your friend's hearts."

"You're not leaving here," Mitchell told her.

"You can't stop me. I am far stronger than either of you and even combined you cannot defeat me. I call on the power of the Chagris and the ancestors of the Mastyque to teach these creatures they are but children in comparison," Layonna said and smiled as she felt the power inside her gaining momentum.

"That power will defeat you, Layonna. You have abused the creatures of both realms far too long and now it will be taken from you," Mitchell vowed. He moved toward her and felt Shanisia and Turlean beside him. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Layonna drew her wings apart and beat them until a savage wind threatened to throw them backward.

Layonna's eyes darkened when the trio continued toward her and knew they were drawing strength from each other. She knew the only way to defeat them was to separate them and brought her hands together before spreading them wide and screaming until the very air burned with her anger.

Mitchell felt Shanisia and Turlean draw away from him as if by an unseen force, but he did not allow it to stop him. He felt pain twisting through him as the changes to his body intensified. He swallowed convulsively and staggered under the onslaught of air pressure Layonna's rapidly beating wings caused. He knew she would kill him if he allowed her to get too close, but there was something inside him, some force that would not let that happen. He embraced the changes, and understood that he might never be human again, but it didn't matter as long as he rid Talosia of this evil creature.

Layonna felt her victory as Mitchell's body completed the change and he staggered toward her. She could easily take him now because of the weakness that came with the sudden change. She'd known he was close, but hadn't realized just how close he was to becoming a serpent. Shanisia and Turlean had undergone the change, but there was still one final phase they would go through. Mitchell wasn't Talosian, and that could very well be the reason for it happening so soon.

Mitchell allowed the creature to catch him when he staggered toward her. Some of it was real, but most of it was part of his ruse to make her believe he was far weaker than he was. As soon as she grabbed him he raised his arm and spread his now fully formed wings wide before wrapping them around her. He felt her body shudder as she tried to escape, and smiled as Shanisia and Turlean rejoined him. With their combined power they created a cocoon and pressed closer, forming a shield that she could not break.

Layonna screamed as her wings were pressed tight against her body. She could no longer move as the trio combined their strength and body mass to imprison her and stop her from using her arms. Air no longer entered her lungs and she felt the life draining from her as the power of the Chagris was used to keep her from escaping. Death was coming for her, of that she was certain, but she would not go down without taking one final victim. She turned her head, and smiled before allowing her elongated fangs to descend and brought them down on Mitchell's shoulder. She felt the bone break and smiled as she drew energy from his body and knew his death would be her final victory.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Mitchell screamed as the creature bit into his right shoulder, breaking bone and sending daggers of pain through his body. He heard Shanisia and Turlean as if from a distance as darkness seemed to spread around him. He trembled and fought to escape the burning sensation and felt new strength spread through him. He had no idea where it came from, but he embraced it and fought back with the power of the Chagris flowing through his veins.

Layonna shrieked with a combination of pain and fear as she felt the change in Mitchell. She cried out and fought to free herself as Shanisia and Turlean added their own strength and harnessed more power than she had ever felt from the Chagris. She no longer felt the power within herself, but instead felt it pressing against her and knew she had underestimated the trio. She knew she was dying, could feel the life force draining from her body as bright light surrounded Mitchell, Shanisia, and Turlean.

"You have proven that you do not know the true power of the Chagris, Layonna, but you will soon. The Chagris was ever meant to hurt anyone, but you have continued to use it for your own selfish and cruel ways."

"Who are you?" Layonna managed through a throat that constricted and made her fight for each breath.

"We are the Chagris. It was never just about power, Layonna. It was about sharing the path across the realms. We were never meant to harvest the Talosian people, we were meant to live amongst them and allow those who chose to join us to embrace the changes. You will not be allowed to hurt others anymore…"

"You cannot stop me!"

"We already have. You believe you chose Colonel Mitchell, but the truth was he was chosen to help defeat you and return the natural progression to Talosia and the people who live here and in the other realm. Already things are changing there and those who were trapped there for decades will soon find it a more habitable place. The Chagris was meant to be shared as it was centuries ago. The Talosians lost the ability to contact us when the solar storm took power and left much of the city in ruins. They were never meant to live apart from each other or from the Serpents in our realm."

"Mitchell will d…die," Layonna told the shadowy lights that surrounded them.

"If that is what was ordained, but you will not live long enough to know. You have been defeated by your own selfish acts, Layonna, but you will not die. You will spend the rest of eternity alone in a cell of our devising. You will relive the wrongs you did to others and will face those who died because of you. Shanisia and Turlean will escort you back through the pathway between the realms."

"No…"

"Take her, but do not release her. If she tries to escape simply call on us and we will see to it that she is subdued until she reaches her final prison."

"What about Cameron?" Carter asked. She'd left Jackson in Lam's care while she and Teal'c followed the sounds of the struggle. The beings that stood before them were no longer simply white light, but instead they were solid and looked remarkably like the Talosian people.

A single being detached itself from the others and moved closer to her before speaking. "Colonel Mitchell has fulfilled the prophecy written centuries ago. He has undergone most of the transformation, but it is still possible to reverse the effects should he choose that path."

Mitchell turned and fought to stay on his feet as he listened to the beautiful being speaking to Carter. His heart skipped a beat when she turned to him and smiled with such force that he thought he was looking into the face of an angel. She stepped toward him and gently placed her hand against his chest, and he couldn't help feeling drawn to her.

"Colonel Mitchell, we wish to apologize for what you were forced to endure, but it was necessary. If your people will continue to work with the Talosians you will soon understand why this was done. I know you are in pain and the choice ahead of you will not be an easy one. You are strong and that is the reason you were selected many years ago. I will not try to explain how or why this happened, but the choice now is for you…alone. No one will think badly of you no matter what choice you make."

"Choice?" Mitchell asked, feeling her strength as she kept her hand against his chest.

"You may accompany us to our realm and complete the cycle to become a serpent, or you can stay here. The choice is yours, but you must know you are beyond our help in this. You are nearly finished with the transformation and if you allow it to continue then you will be free of pain in a few hours."

"What happens if I want to go back to being human?" Mitchell asked.

"Then I will remove my hand and allow your body to reject the changes. Be warned that you have sustained many injuries to your human body and it will not be an easy road for you."

"It never is," Mitchell said and sighed heavily as he looked at Carter and Teal's. "I choose to be human."

"As you wish, Colonel Mitchell, we owe you a debt that can never be repaid. Layonna will never again cross the realms, but Shanisia and Turlean will be allowed to visit. The Mastyque has returned to normal because you have brought something to us that has been missing for centuries. You have the power of the Chagris inside you, Colonel Mitchell, and we are forever in your debt. You are strong and I have no doubt that you will recover…stay strong and allow your friends to help you for they have their own Chagris within them."

"You got that right," Mitchell said and smiled as the being kissed him, fading slightly as the other creatures gathered around her. "Thank you."

"You do not need to thank us, Colonel Mitchell, for it is us that owe you more than just thank you. Perhaps we will meet again when you are strong enough to cross the realm again."

"I don't think that's going to happen for a long time," Mitchell said as Teal'c and Carter reached him. He could hear his own breathing grow more and more labored as his body twisted with the changes that would slowly resolve until he was a 100% human again. He smiled as Carter stood in front of him and felt his legs give out.

"I have him, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said and caught their friend before he hit the ground. He easily lifted the semi-conscious man into his arms, but didn't mist the soft cry of pain as he held him as gently as possible and carried him toward the hospital.

Carter watched as the beings slowly faded as if the bright light they had once carried was no longer needed. She'd seen Shanisia and Turlean take Layonna and disappear, but she'd been so focused on what was happening with Mitchell that she hadn't paid much attention to them. She finally turned and followed Teal'c back into the hospital and hoped what the being had said was right, not the pain so much, but that Mitchell would be himself before long.

"Teal'c, bring him in here." Lam ordered, silently cursing when she saw the new damage to his shoulder. She was glad to have Resandie and Beritonis with her as they tried to examine Cameron Mitchell. The changes to his body made it impossible to decide where to start, but she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Carter standing behind her.

"Carolyn, the beings that intervened said he would begin to change back immediately, but there was nothing they could do about his injuries," Carter told her.

"After everything he did for them they couldn't use their power to help him," Lam snapped tiredly.

"In a way I think she did…Cam was not supposed to be able to revert to his human form, but they are allowing him that choice because of what he did. Layonna won't be a problem anymore since Shanisia and Turlean were told to take her back across. She'll be imprisoned there by the Mastyque or the Chagris. We'll know more when we check the data that's still locked in the computer."

"The changes have already started, Carolyn," Resandie told her and watched as small impurities were erased as Mitchell's body began the process of ridding itself of the serpent qualities.

"We need to be ready for anything," Carolyn said and began hooking up the monitors while Resandie set up to insert the IV line once more.

"Carolyn, how's Daniel?"

"He took quite the blow to the head and I'm pretty sure his left arm is broken. Dr. Carlyle arrived from Earth a short time ago and he's with Daniel. Right now I need you and Teal'c to give us room to work. I'll let you know as soon as we figure out what's happening and what we need to do to help him," Lam told her.

"He's strong, Carolyn," Carter said and followed the Jaffa out of the room. She spotted movement outside a room down the hall and quickly made her way to the door. The scene inside was one she'd grown used to over the years, but it didn't make it any easier for her to see. Daniel Jackson was lying on his back, his eyes closed, an IV running into his left arm while Anthony Carlyle examined the injured limb. She could also see a sizable lump surrounded by a darkening bruise on the right side of his head.

"Sharellen, would you find out if x-ray is set up for him?"

"Yes, Dr. Carlyle," the Talosian said and hurried past Carter and Teal'c.

"How is he, Tony?" Carter asked.

"I'd feel a lot better if he'd wake up," Carlyle told her and checked Jackson's pupillary reactions, and smiled when he heard a soft grumble come from the man. "Speak of the devil…I thought you'd finally scrambled that head of yours."

"What happened?" Jackson groaned and reached up to touch his head.

"You sort of took a flying leap and tackled a surface just slightly harder than your head," Carlyle answered.

"Can we come in?" Carter asked.

"Sam? Wh…where's Mitchell?" Jackson asked and fought to sit up.

"You're not going anywhere, Dr. Jackson, so stop fighting and let us do what we're paid to do," Carlyle ordered.

"Mitchell?"

"He's just down the hall, Daniel," Carter answered.

"Is he…"

"He's hurt, but he's changing back," Carter explained.

"How? Layonna?"

"She's gone…"

"Dr. Carlyle, they can take him now," Sharellen said as she moved back into the room.

"All right, Dr. Jackson, let's get some pictures of your arm and head. Colonel Carter, Teal'c, you can wait here," Carlyle ordered and readied Jackson for the trip to the x-ray department.

"Come on, Teal'c we might as well get something to eat," Carter said and moved out of the room to give the medical personnel room to maneuver.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Carolyn Lam knew what needed to be done for Colonel Mitchell, but until the changes were complete, there wasn't much she could do except stop the bleeding. She checked the flow of the IV and looked up when she heard a soft intake of breath from the injured man. "Colonel Mitchell, you're okay…you're …"

"Doc….God," Mitchell groaned as consciousness returned and with it came the agonizing pain as his body underwent the transformation. Bone grated against bone, muscles and tendons were stretched tight as his skin seemed elasticized.

"Sharellen, I need you to give him 10ccs of Lowarapallin," Lam ordered and wished there was something more she could do, but until everything returned to normal, pain management was the best she could offer. She cringed as Mitchell managed to turn on his side, exposing the bony protuberances along his spine. They were smaller now, but the shifting of bone and flesh made her feel queasy.

Mitchell swallowed the bitter bile that rose in his throat and tried to curl into a ball as his body continued to change. Fear gripped him as his heart trip-hammered against his chest and his lungs seemed to have collapsed. He looked into her eyes and knew she'd seen the panic in his as she began giving orders to the other people in the room.

"Resandie, we're going to need to intubate until he's able to breathe on his own," Lam said and made sure she kept her ton calm as she spoke to the patient. "Colonel…Cam, I'm going to put a tube down your throat to help you breathe. It will be uncomfortable, but you need the extra help right now."

Mitchell hated tubes, but he also understood the necessity for them, he nodded simply and soon felt his head tilted back as the medication he'd been given quickly took control. He could hear voices, but could no longer make sense of what they were saying as something was sprayed down his throat and consciousness left him.

Carolyn Lam worked quickly to get the tube inserted and her patient hooked up to the Talosian version of the ventilator. She wished there was more she could do, and nodded as Resandie finished securing the tube. Maybe the best thing they could do for Mitchell was keep him sedated until his body returned to its original form.

"Dr. Lam, what if we kept him sedated until the changes are complete?" Resandie asked.

"You must be a mind reader, Resandie. I was just thinking the same thing," Lam said and hoped Mitchell wouldn't feel anything until this was all over.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

There were a few times in his life that he'd suffered a hangover and wished he was dead, but none had been this bad or lasted this long. Voices had been intruding on his sleep for some time and they'd been getting stronger. Some of them even sounded familiar and each time they spoke he found he was able to adjust his aching body, but didn't have the strength to open his eyes

The smells and sounds were also familiar, the clicks and beeps a reminder of other times he'd spent here. Someone touched his hand and he thought that maybe, just maybe he could force his eyes open and see who it was. The problem was, if he did that, he was pretty sure his head would explode. It was damn close to doing that right now.

One voice became more and more insistent and he could no longer fight it as he struggled to lift his heavy eyelids. God, he didn't know if he could do it, but those voices were getting more and more frantic and he heard someone shout something as his eyes opened and fixated on the light above the bed he lay on.

"Easy, Colonel, just lie still," Carolyn Lam ordered and smiled at the man as he worked to focus on the people around him.

"Doc?"

"That's right, Colonel. How do you feel?"

"I don't…I can't move," Mitchell managed and coughed. A straw was placed at his lips and he drank greedily in an effort to relieve the arid terrain inside his mouth.

"That'll pass, but it will take some time. You're going to need to let us help you until your strength returns," Lam explained.

"How long have I been here?" the colonel asked.

"We brought you back here nearly three weeks ago. You needed time to heal and I thought it best to keep you sedated until the worst of the changes were over," Lam told him.

"Changes?" Mitchel tried to make sense of what she was saying, but his mind seemed engulfed in a thick fog that made it hard to think. He sighed tiredly and looked at the three people near his bed and smiled before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"Carolyn, how is he?" Carter asked hopefully.

"He's got a long way to go and he's not out of the woods yet, but I'm betting on his stubborn pride to pull him through. The changes are nearly complete, but that's not the end of it for him. He's going to be weak and need help with most things for several months. The physical changes really took a toll on his body, and we don't know about the emotional effects yet."

"How long before you let him out?" Jackson asked.

"At least a week, and that's being generous. As I said he's got a long way to go before he's back on the team and able to go on another mission," Lam told them and checked the monitors. His temperature was still higher than she wanted and his heart rate wasn't what it should be, but it was better than it had been and each day he seemed to be returning to normal. There were still a few minor ridges along his spine, but, given time they would also disappear. Walking would be another problem and one he would have to fight to overcome as his leg muscles and bones returned to normal.

"Colonel Mitchell will recover," Teal'c told them and turned to leave. He had to meet with Bra'tac, but he would return to Colonel Mitchell's side and help him deal with his physical limitations until he was able to do things on his own again. He knew how hard it would be for Mitchell and the challenges that lay ahead of him.

"How long before you take him off the medications?" Carter asked of the pain medications Lam was giving the injured man.

"Not for several days and even then I want to do it slowly. I was serious about the changes and the toll they've taken. He is going to be extremely sensitive to everything including a light touch for some time to come and you all need to remember that. Resandie found evidence of others who underwent the same changes and some of them didn't survive because they could not withstand the pain. The drugs will help him deal with the worst of the pain, but eventually I will have to take him off of those. He'll be able to function, but on what level we won't know until we run more tests. Resandie has been working with several Talosians who underwent the changes and managed to recover, but it's different with Colonel Mitchell because he is not from their world. The differences are not extreme, but they're enough to make this harder on him than the Talosians," Lam explained.

"How long before he wakes up again?" Carter asked.

"Hopefully not for several hours, but it's hard to say. I really didn't expect him to wake up this soon, but with him I'm not surprised," Lam said.

"Can I stay with him?" Carter asked.

"I don't see why not, but you should get some sleep. Why don't you take advantage of that bed over there and get some sleep," Lam said. Samantha Carter had been a constant once they'd brought Mitchell home and Carolyn wondered if there were feelings growing between her and Mitchell. Not that she could blame Carter, because Cameron Mitchell was a good man with a good heart. He had proven time and again that he would do anything for his team. She watched as Jackson left the room and Carter moved to take advantage of the empty bed near Mitchell.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Cameron Mitchell had known hell several times during his life, and this time was no exception as he forced his eyes open and stared around the SG infirmary. The smells and sounds hadn't changed, but there was no way he could ignore the pain running rampant through his body. He felt someone touch his arm and turned his head as Carolyn Lam spoke to him.

"It's okay, Colonel, I just gave you something to help ease the pain, but we need to take you off the heavy medications. I'm sorry, but you've been on them far too long already."

"What hap…happened?" Mitchell asked and tried to make sense of the nightmares he'd been having.

"What do you remember?" Carter asked. She'd been spending most of her time here since the first time Mitchell woke up and had been there when the nightmares were so bad he'd tried to get off the bed. It had taken Teal'c and Daniel to hold him down long enough for the nurse to inject a sedative into his IV line.

"Talosia…we went to visit them."

"Yes, we did," Carter said. "Do you remember anything else?"

"Dragons?" Mitchell asked.

"Sort of," Carter told him. "We went to Talosia and ran into some trouble."

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Trouble…seems to follow us everywhere we go," Mitchell said and smiled as Daniel and Teal'c joined them.

"It is good to see you awake, Colonel Mitchell?"

"Thanks, Big Fella," Mitchell said and swallowed several times as pain lanced through his lower back and down his legs. "Damn."

"That should pass, Colonel, but if it doesn't just let me know and I'll give you something to help you sleep," Lam ordered.

"Think I've had enough sleep for a lifetime. My Grannie always said sleep was just the body's way of keeping the mind out of trouble," Mitchell told her.

"Your granny was right…at least in your case she was. Sleep is what you need, Colonel, so don't fight it," the doctor told him as her father joined them.

"General," Mitchell said and shifted on the bed, but his commanding officer would not have it.

"At ease, Colonel, as of right now you are under strict orders to listen to your doctor. If I find out you're giving her a hard time I will see that you get KP duty for the next year. Understood?"

"Understood, Sir," Mitchell said and lay back on the pillows. What little energy he had disappeared with the least amount of movement and he looked at the people watching him with a weak smile. He could not remember everything that had happened, but he wasn't really sure he wanted to either. Something told him he was better off not knowing what was behind the nightmares he was having.

"Good, SG1 has enough to do here so they are on stand down until further notice. Dr. Jackson, the Talosians have asked for your help in going through the old records they found. Colonel Carter they have also requested your help. Since Colonel Mitchell is under strict orders to listen to his doctor and Teal'c has asked for a leave to help Master Bra'tac then I believe the other SG teams are capable of taking care of any pressing matters," Landry ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Mitchell said. He hated not being with his team, hated the idea that maybe they wouldn't be there when he got back on his feet.

"Don't worry, Colonel, your team will be there when you're cleared for active duty," Landry vowed. "For now, rest and don't worry about the paperwork. You can do it when you're back on your feet. Carolyn, if he gives you any trouble I can arrange for a guard."

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Lam said and noted that Mitchell was sleeping again.

"How long before the rest of the changes take place?" Landry asked his daughter.

"That's hard to say. The worst of the physical changes have already happened, but the small ridges in along his spine are taking longer than I thought. That's why I'm still keeping him heavily sedated, but I'm going to have to stop that soon or we'll only be adding to the problems. Resandie has people checking for more information and if Daniel can help then maybe we'll have more answers. The blood work and scans show elevated levels of white blood cells and he's still fighting a fever."

"But he will get back to himself?" Landry asked.

"I think so," Lam answered and looked at the monitors. She knew things were not always cut and dry in her profession, but she believed in what she did and the facts she had. There were still oddities showing up in Mitchell's blood work and she hoped Daniel and Sam found some answers on Talosia. If not, her words about Mitchell's recovery could come back to haunt her.

**SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1 **

Mitchell opened his eyes and looked around the darkened room. He knew where he was and was grateful to be alone for the first time since this ordeal began. He knew it had to be late because during the day they kept the lights on, at night they kept the rooms fairly dark so patients could get their sleep. He didn't want to sleep anymore, not after the images that were ingrained on his mind. Several names had come to him during those nightmares, but it was the image of Layonna that plagued him.

Cam shifted on the bed and sat up until he could see past the darkness to the outer area where a nurse was working at her desk. He ached all over and every move he made sent daggers of pain through his back. He knew something was wrong and needed to see for himself what was wrong. The railing was easy to lower and he quickly slid his legs over the edge of the bed. If this room was like the others he'd been in, then there would be a mirror in the bathroom and he cursed the fact that an IV still fed into his arm.

Mitchell looked up at the bag of IV solution and glanced at the desk, glad that the nurse was no longer there. She was probably busy with another patient and hopefully she wouldn't check on him for several minutes. He pulled the IV from his arm and limped toward the small bathroom, ignoring the pain in his need to find out what no one was telling him.

The dreams were filled with images of serpents and dragons and pain, of blood and death, and people who were forced into a life they didn't want. He closed his eyes and tried to ride out the wave of dizziness that washed over him and tried not to think about a year of KP if Landry found out he'd ignored his orders to rest.

Each step he took reminded him that something was definitely not right with his body, but he was beginning to think he should have waited a little longer. This felt like a marathon, and yet he'd barely made it five feet from the bed.

"Just one more step…that's all…just one more step," he whispered and was shocked when he actually made it to the door and pulled it open. Once inside he closed the door and flicked on the light, shocked and surprised at the face that stared back at him.

The eyes were sunken and rimmed with dark circles, the cheeks were gaunt with slight ridges that didn't belong there. He grabbed the edge of the sink and leaned forward in an effort to quell the mounting nausea churning through his gut. He released his left hand, turned slightly until he could see his back, and gasped when he saw the changes there. It was as if his spine was being forced through his skin and he tried not to think about what would happen if it stayed this way.

Would he always look like a monster? Would he ever be able to walk in public without a shirt on? What if he did? Would he scare the hell out of everyone who saw him? Would it terrify children to see his deformity? He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the mirror as pain slammed through his back and legs. A soft knock on the door made him jump and he fought to keep his emotions in check as he heard her soft voice.

"Colonel Mitchell, are you in there?"

"I'm here," he managed; surprised that he was able to keep his emotions in check.

"You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I needed to see…to know…"

"It's okay, open the door and I'll help you get back to bed," the nurse told him.

"I'll be out in a little while," Mitchell said.

"Colonel, I really need you come out now…"

"I can't…I need some time…just give me some time," he told her.

"I could do that, but then I wouldn't be doing my job and that would mean Dr. Lam would have to report me and I could lose my job. I know you don't want that to happen, Colonel Mitchell, so please come out and let me do my job," Donna Collins said.

Cameron knew she would not lose her job, but he understood what she was doing and reached for the door handle. He opened it slowly and looked at the young woman standing there. He allowed her to help him back to the bed and sat on the edge while she pressed a piece of gauze against the small puncture wound left by the IV he'd extracted.

"I'm going to have to put that back in," she said softly, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"I don't need it," Mitchell told her.

"Dr. Lam wants it in place until…"

"Until what? Until I'm human again? How long have I been here?"

"Is there a problem here?"

"No, General, I don't think there's a problem," Collins said and smiled at Mitchell.

"Colonel, are you giving the medical staff problems?" Landry asked. He'd been on his way to check on Mitchell before leaving for the night when he'd heard the raised voice.

"I don't need the IV…as a matter of fact I don't need to be here, General."

"Until Carolyn says otherwise this is exactly where you belong," Landry said and sat on the edge of the bed as the nurse went to get the things she would need to restart the IV. "What's going on, Colonel?"

"Nothing, Sir, I just…I can't stay here any longer."

"Why not?"

"Have you seen my back? I can't…I'm not even human any more. Layonna was right…I'm one of those serpents and need to go back to Talosia," Mitchell snapped.

"No, you don't, Colonel. You belong here and you are returning to yourself. I know it's a slow process, but Carolyn assures me you'll be back to the Colonel Mitchell your Granny loves," Landry told him and saw a hint of a smile form as Mitchell stared down at the floor. "How would your Granny feel if she knew you were feeling sorry for yourself?"

"She'd kick my sorry ass to the curb," Mitchell answered.

"Sounds like a woman after my own heart. I'm going to do just that if I find you're letting this stop you from being the man I know you are. You'll be back on your feet and aching to go through the gate before you know it, but I won't let you do that until Carolyn gives you the all clear. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Mitchell said as the nurse returned and his shoulders slumped.

"Good, now don't let me hear about you giving Nurse Collins a hard time," Landry ordered. "Get some sleep, Colonel. That's an order."

"Yes, Sir," the injured man said as Collins set up the new IV line.

"Good night, Colonel."

"Good night, Sir," Mitchell said and lay back on the bed once the IV was running again and the general left him alone with the nurse. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Donna."

"That's okay, Colonel, I understand how you feel," Collins said and injected something into the IV.

"What was that?" Mitchell asked.

"Dr. Lam left orders for something to help you sleep. It shouldn't take long to work," the nurse explained.

"Thanks," Mitchell turned his face away and closed his eyes. He licked at dry lips as he thought about the grotesque protuberances along his spine. Would they really go away, or would he have to hide his deformity from the world? He could almost hear his Granny telling him not to be so damn vain as he slipped toward the waiting nightmares.

TBC


End file.
